iPhone 4: Missing in Madrid

(Photo by veneer.com)

Alas, it finally happened to me: my iPhone went missing! But, I wasn't exactly the victim of any particular theft or street gimmick. This time, it was my own doing.

The entire thing happened in less than 5 minutes. I was exhausted from going out so I decided to take a cab home. So, upon boarding the taxi, I put my phone in my jacket pocket. The trip was short... possibly only 6 minutes long. But at some point, quite near my hotel, the driver made a sharp turn that took me off balance. I noticed that my Swiss Army knife flew out.. so I immediately grabbed it and placed it back in. Apparently, my iPhone flew out as well. I totally didn't notice it.

And so, before leaving the cab, I took a look at the seat to see whether I left anything. After that quick scan - nothing. Well, of course I didn't see it coz my phone was also black. So it magically camouflaged itself on the seat. I was on the elevator.. and soon.. well, that's when I noticed my phone was already missing. I went back downstairs... but unfortunately the taxi was already gone.

Actually, I had a similar experience a few months earlier in Singapore. I took a cab... then the phone slipped out of my pocket. The only difference then was that I was able to remember the taxi number, was able to call them back, and got my phone an hour later. How efficient, isn't it? Well, not here.

Well, unfortunately I didn't get to subscribe to the whole "Find My iPhone" service on iCloud and so there's no possible way for me to locate it / erase all data. Luckily though, I did back up my stuff and I also managed to download most of my contacts on this mass-mailing software I had. I also luckily placed a Passcode lock on it to prevent people from easily accessing my data... and well, again, luckily my SG SIM Card wasn't there either. I had placed an Orange SIM that hadn't been activated yet (and every time you turn on the phone, it'll ask you for that PUK code). My biggest regret though, are the countless messages / photos inside. Hopefully the entire phone will be rendered useless to the person who gets hold of it.

But that said, I've proceeded to cancel all  relevant cards and likewise changed all passwords. But still, damn.

Getting a new phone right away would've been ideal... but most shops won't open til this coming Monday due to the Easter holidays. I'm checking out this company called Student Phone to see whether I can get a new line at a cheaper / better rate. So yeah... farewell iPhone, it's been fun.

PS: Interestingly, I was planning to replace my phone a few weeks back because it was quite faulty. The home button wasn't working properly and the power button was jammed. I've had that phone for nearly 3 years... so I guess it was about time to finally switch.

City for Sale (or Rent)

SE ALQUILA... Everywhere! (Photo by www.aluvionpopular.com.ar/)

A week prior to landing in Madrid I was freaking out... mostly because I had not been issued my student visa (and true enough, I only got my visa 5 hours before my flight... but that's another story). The other half bugging me internally was that I have yet to find a flat to live in. But that said, I should be fine~ there should be cheap hotels / hostels nearby I can find myself in regardless.

I had heard stories that due to the recession that Madrid was technically for sale. And true enough, it was something I noticed while walking down the chilly alleys and streets near my school. Every building I saw had this sign. It would've been tempting to actually call each of these numbers in order to secure my flat... but then, my command of Spanish is close to nil. And so, I would resort instead to online searches and offers made by IE students on the Housing & Rentals FB page.

Just by the entrance is where they'll be (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)

The other thing that caught my eye here was the abundance of beggars on the street. The Philippines actually has a lot... and I haven't seen any since I had moved to Singapore. In my mind, I was expecting beggars in Spain to be... well, Spanish. Turns out... it's not the case (well, from my observation in the Salamanca area, a week into my stay here). I've noticed that beggars fall into 2 categories: nomad gypsies or African migrants. Amazingly, they all speak the local language. They usually strategically station themselves outside grocery stores. Sooner or later, because I'll likely frequent these stores, they'll likely recognize me as I pass through each time. I haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet (it's like seeing a person over and over in school but never talking to them outside school. I dunno, I get that feeling). Well, we'll see~

I wanted to talk about my short-lived incident that happened during lunch earlier today. For some reason, after walking 10 minutes I suddenly felt dizzy (like in a hungry-kinda-way). And so, I went to the nearest cafe in sight to order lunch. My hands shaked as I ate. I wanted to show a Google Maps photo of the place I had my lunch... but I realized it was a different restaurant on Google Maps. The same applied to this cafe at the intersection of Calle Serrano and Calle Lopez de Hoyos I've been frequenting the past few days (I've eaten there 3 times in total). On Google Maps it's a different place altogether. I suppose the economy had to do with it.

Alimentacion (Photo by Roberto Rocco)

But on another note, there is something that I've found amusing. As the Philippines has these sari-sari stores that you'd find in every corner, Madrid has these chinos or alimentacions (mini-thrift / convenience stores) run by... you guessed it, the Chinese! I say amusing because I've always believed in the entrepreneurial & risk-taking nature of the Chinese... no matter where they are in the world. And surely, this seems to be a niche they've managed to create here in Spain. I've bought my Orange SIM card from one of these stores. And likewise, water, snacks and even these recharge cards.

My Chinese is quite limited... but it's way better than my Spanish. I've found using Chinese much more useful here coz they all understand Mandarin (with exception to one store I ran into... where the owners were actually Cantonese-speaking. But as it goes~ they speak Mandarin too).

Back to writing

What I thought of Madrid~ sunny skies & stuff (Photo by Vincent Van Derveken)

And so I've heard that writing actually helps keep one's brain active (and ultimately increase IQ in the process). I figured that it would be a good practice to write while I can~ so that I wouldn't forget the small details I've observed here in Madrid. Likewise, I guess my family can just read these posts to know what's going on.

From the photo above, this was actually more or less the imagery I had in my head of Spain - that is was a very sunny, lively place. Both are true actually... but it must've been an interesting exception during the very week I arrived here. According to my weather app, it seems it'll continue to rain all week (all the way to next week, I suppose). The air is constantly cold here~ a stark contrast to what I've accustomed myself to living 4.5 years in Singapore. That said, it isn't all that bad... as I've found walking around more bear-able (see the link?). Since I landed here, I must've walked more in less a week than what I would've in 2 months in SG (I personally think so).

I "suffered" during my first few days here~ since I'm accustomed to waking up the moment the sun rises (which is like 6-7am). And of course, to my dismay~ I couldn't find a single place that serves breakfast that early. And so, I used my morning to both take my morning walks and to scope out the neighborhood. 6 days in, I've actually found a number of cafeterias in the vicinity that open its doors at 6:30 / 7am. Of course, they're far.. but I guess I can burn a few calories doing so.

This is what I see (the school) the moment I step out of my apartment (Photo courtesy of Google Maps)

I finally found a place yesterday that seemed decent. The three biggest good things about that place is that it's near school (I can literally see the school the moment I step out of my building), that it has a nice kitchen and that there's a nearby grocery. The bathroom is okay and so is the room. I personally dislike the living room. But it should be no issue... I'll probably have a chat with my house mate and convince him to allow me to redecorate the place. I do come from the creative industry, after all lol

One of the first new Spanish words I learned: postre (dessert)

I told myself this morning that I'll learn some Spanish words today. Actually, just the basics.. like... how much is this? I'd like to order this. Do you have....? Stuff like that - all food oriented. Somehow, I'm surprised to have survived a couple of days just pointing at random items on the menu. 

Anyway, that's all for now. I'm not entirely sure whether I'll be able to maintain this blog as I've heard that the IMBA program at IE Business School is pretty intense. Let's see.