I had my last exam yesterday. It went okay, especially considering how little I had studied. Somehow I was bitten by the lazy bug in the past few days and I didn’t study more than four hours which was only about enough time to read through and summarize my notes. I think I’ll pass the exam but we’ll see what grade I’ll get [the exam only counts 50% towards the final grade], not that it matters anyway. So now I am completely done with school here.

After the exam I went to buy a box to pack a bunch of my stuff to ship home. I found an inexpensive way of shipping it, and I really hope it works out. The box is 50×50x40cm and weighs a bit over 25kg I guess [just 15kg of that is books and notes]. I had called GLS, a delivery company, but they told me that they only work with businesses in Spain. But the guy gave me the number of someone who does individual shipments. I called her and she told me that she works with GLS and that it would be shipped with GLS, and I’d pay €32 for 25kg or €36 for over 25 up to 30kg. I assume the way it works is that it is sent through her account with GLS and she charges a little more to cover her costs. I really hope this is legit but I got the number from the guy at GLS so it had better be. She is coming tomorrow to pick up the box [I hope she shows up!] and I will make sure she gives me some documentation and also her full name and some other contact information. The reason I am not just sending it with Correos [through the regular post office] is that it would cost me about €90 for 25-27kg which is so expensive. And another plus is that with GLS it will be picked up. If something does go wrong and I have to send it with Correos [obviously I would not leave the stuff here], I will have to see how to get it to the post office on Friday evening or Saturday morning [before my flight].

I have also been able to sell most of the things I wanted to sell. My roommates have bought some of my stuff, and right now all I still have left is my desk chair and lamp. If I cannot sell them I’ll give them to my friend Clara, but it wouldn’t be that bad  as I’m only selling each for €1 anyway. The main concern was to sell the wardrobe and mattress which I did [and along with some other small things I have made a total of €67 so far. [Let's just skip the part where Nuria and I hauled the wardrobe - which thankfully was very light - down the stairs from 4th [US] / third [UK & D] floor because it was a tiny bit to big for the elevator.] Of course I spent much more in the beginning but I didn’t expect to get back as much anyway. I am also keeping some things [curtains, towels, blanket, comforter], most of which is in that 25kg box.

By the way, I decided not to make any more day trips. That does mean I will not go to Girona, Figueres, Tarragona or Montserrat, but I had so little time left after my last final that it would have been really stressful to do that, and I figure that I’ll come back to Barcelona sometime, and just have to wait until then. That way, I’ll still have some places left to see when I visit. Clara’s mom offered me a place to stay whenever I want to visit, which is very sweet of her. She’s a very nice lady. She and Clara also washed my laundry for me [I only put the first load in the washing machine], which was so so so nice of them! I originally just wanted to wash it there, and then take it back home to dry and fold, but Clara said it would be easier for them and for me, if they just let it dry at their house [only took a few hours anyway as it was very warm and sunny yesterday] and if I came back at night to pick it up, and by then they had even folded it for me. So amazing! The reason I asked to wash my clothes at their house is that our washing machine is not working very well and doesn’t spin-dry and worst of all, the clothes smell after coming out of the washing machine. It is pretty gross! Luckily I don’t have to use it anymore. I now don’t have any dirty clothes and will wash some clothes at one of the hostels I am staying at, and then again when I am back in Germany.

Monday, Clara and I went to see Indiana Jones at the movies. I am not sure I liked the whole alien part of the plot, but other than that it was fun to watch, just like all the other Indy movies. Yesterday I said goodbye to Clara and her mom, though I’ll actually see Clara again after I come back from Andalucia and before I leave for Germany, and to one of my roommates, Anais. She is in France until next week and then when I come back from Andalucia she will be in France again, so we won’t see each other anymore. That really made me kind of sad. I wasn’t too sad about leaving Barcelona so far but saying goodbye to friends is always tough. Tomorrow I am hopefully meeting up with Iveta for coffee or something and with Anna for dinner, and it’ll be time for two more goodbyes. Speaking of, a week ago, Carmen came to visit in Barcelona for a few days and we met up with Anna for coffee and it was really nice to see her again [but she is from my university at home so no doubt this wasn't the last time we hang out].

I went to the grocery store earlier, and I am not sure if you’ve heard but the truckers in Spain have been striking since Monday I think, and stores are running out of fresh products, water and fuel, as they block[ed] high ways from/to Madrid and the French/Spanish border. My grocery store still had some fresh fruit but no fresh vegetables or salad at all. And not much water either. It was quite a sad view to see so many shelves empty. I really hope the strike will stop soon. I won’t be in Barcelona after Saturday, but I doubt that Andalucia’s grocery stores are looking much better either. The fishermen are also on strike [for the same reason as the truckers, gas prices] and have been for almost two weeks, but seeing as that doesn’t affect me [I don't eat fish], I didn’t know until I read that CNN article I linked to. If this strike continues it will also likely affect the transport of above-mentioned box, as it will be transported on ground [in a truck], regardless of whether I send it with GLS or Correos. There is nothing in there I really need soon, and likely, even if the strike continues for another week, it would make it home before I do, but I would like to know my stuff has arrived at home safely as soon as possible.

Today I did the last bookings for my trip. I booked the bus trips from Sevilla to Córdoba and from there to Málaga and then to Granada [for a total of €35, can't complain]. I also bought a ticket for the Alhambra for June 23rd, my birthday. It is very hard to get a ticket on the day of visiting [my roommate Nuria told me they had to be there at 5am to get tickets], so the best idea is to buy them online before the visit.

I am now pretty much ready to leave, I have even packed most of my stuff already. [I did that while also packing my other suitcase, to figure out what to put on top and bottom for going back to Germany in two weeks. I also printed out all tickets and hostel confirmations at the library today. Unfortunately I thought I had already printed out my flight ticket but actually hadn't so I have to go to the library again tomorrow to do that. I looked up the weather forecast for the cities I am going to for the next 10 days, and what can I say, [as you can see] between 29 and 34°C [84 - 94°F] throughout the entire time [the last few days of my trip aren't in the weather forecast yet, but I doubt they'll be much different. I'll probably be whining about how hot it is there soon enough. Summer has actually broken out here too, finally, with all that bad weather in the past month. It was 28°C [82°F] here today and it’s supposed to stay sunny. Looks like the low has finally moved on.

Okay, this post has gotten really long, but I hope you can bear with me. I will post my SPF tomorrow, but except for that, this will be my last post before I go on my trip. Depending on computer access [which should be fairly good] I’ll be able to post on my trip though and maybe even upload some pictures already. I’ll definitely keep posting short messages on Twitter though, so keep an eye out.

Ever since I finished that paper on Wednesday early morning? I have done nothing. Well, I may have done something, but nothing worth mentioning or productive. I have not touched any of my school books or notes, and I still have two papers to write by Sunday [they're not due then but Monday I need to start studying for my first final].

I have also not gone on any day trips [to Girona or Sitges or wherever] because the weather is still crappy. Meanwhile back home in Germany it is over 30°C [85°F] because you know, as of this spring, Germany is the country with the nice weather, and Spain only gets the crappy weather. I do have to admit that the cooler, overcast weather [with around 20°C/70°F] is better for running, but that is the only thing it is good for.

But anyway, enough of the weather, it seems all I ever talk about lately, so let’s talk about food! Today I made fruit salad. And even though the weather is not at all summer-ish, the ingredients for my fruit salad were. And that makes me happy. Because I love summer fruit. Making fruit salat is a bit of a pain because you have to chop all these fruits [using cherries and grapes with seeds make it even worse] but the result is so worth it. It was absolutely delicious.

It made for a great afternoon snack and dessert after dinner [pizza margherita, yum!], and I believe there is even some more left over in the fridge.

And while we are talking about fruit, I would have never thought that fruit juice and milk would taste good together, but there is this beverage brand here called Funciona and their beverages are actually really tasty and refreshing.

By the way, I have finally decided to become a bit more active on 20-Something Bloggers, and have added some of you on there, but I am not sure if I have missed any. Please let me know if you are a member so I can add you (you can find me here). And also let me know if you are on Twitter and I haven’t added you there yet (find me here).

Thankfully I have my parents to keep me updated on local news. Yesterday my parents mentioned on the phone to me that Barcelona is being supplied with water by ships. Really? As usual, when it comes to local news, I didn’t have the foggiest clue. I admit that I do not follow local [or national] news at all. At least while I am living in Spain. Back home I am not that ignorant.

I did know we’ve been having a really bad drought. And that they’ve turned off public fountains. But it does seem to be really bad, apparently it is the worst drought of the past 60 years. The past two weeks we have been getting more rain though [more than in the entire time I've been here it seems] and apparently the situation has gotten a little better. But getting water shipped in? That sounds really bad [the fact that they have to, the fact that they can is great].

Yet, here I am, wishing for sunshine! I suppose, considering the situation that is a bit selfish of me, but damn, it has been depressingly cloudy lately. How about this, TPTB: make it rain during the night, and then we get sunshine all day, deal?

This? Not acceptable. The weather has been completely crap today and apparently is going to stay just as crap in the next four days. With few improvements throughout the entire next week.

Tomorrow Ruben is coming here and I was hoping we could go to Girona or Tarragona or some place but it isn’t looking like the weather will cooperate. You know, it has been so nice lately with the sunshine all day, and just this weekend it has to be not only bad but horrible. I really hope I will still get a chance to go to all these places some time before I leave.

Tomorrow night Anna and her roommates are having an international dinner. I still have to think of something easy to make, preferrably snack-sized and typically German. So far I have no clue whatsoever. Any ideas?

Random, but Men in Trees got canceled. I really loved that show so I’m a bit sad.

P.S. You can now subscribe to my blog by e-mail and get new posts delivered right to your inbox. Just fill out the form in the sidebar.

Police spokesman Franz Polzer told CNN that 73-year-old Josef Fritzl admitted holding his daughter, Elisabeth Fritzl, 42, hostage in the windowless cell and fathering seven children by her. [...]

Elisabeth said her father began sexually abusing her at age 11. On August 8, 1984 — weeks before she was reported missing — her father enticed her into the basement, where he drugged her, put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room, she told police.

For the next 24 years, she was constantly raped by her father, resulting in the six surviving children, she said, according to the police statement. (Source)

This is the kind of news that leaves you speechless. It is unbelievable that a person could do something like that to another person, not to mention a father to his daughter. It’s hard to grasp how a human being could be capable of such things, what a twisted mind it must take for someone to do this. I remember when another Austrian girl escaped a couple of years ago from a man who had abducted her eight years earlier [Natascha Kampusch], and this case just seems a hundred times worse. I cannot fathom how strong a person has to be to survive abuse like that - and how damaged and hurt they must be for the rest of their lives. It makes me feel sick just to think about it.

On days like this I am just appalled at the human race.

Edit: I see, my blog is somehow linked at the bottom of that CNN article. Interesting. That would explain the over 200 visitors since I posted this three hours ago [as opposed to the usual 25 a day], I suppose. It would also explain the somewhat weird comments. Move along people, nothing to see here. This is just a personal blog. [That happens to be linked to from the main article on CNN.com. Eeek!] Don’t other - you know, more important - bloggers blog about this topic that Sphere can link to?