Stocks Drop, Temperatures Rise, the Race Is On

In the same day the Madrid Stock Exchange dropped by 7.7 percent, the temperature reached a high of 17ºC (63ºF). The latter is very good, considering it is January and I am already able to run outside and avoid paying and arm and a leg for a gym. The former is very bad, considering it is the largest drop in 20 years and is indicative of other major drops in world markets impulsed by the projected recession in the US due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. However, if the if the Fed's lowering of interest rates has a positive effect (the dollar doesn't drop more against the euro) and the weather continues to be gorgeous, February promises to be a beautiful month for me!

I'm currently in the midst of a hellish two weeks, given that I have an exam on Friday, another on Wednesday and then three papers to finish for early February. However, there is reason to hope! Tomorrow we're taking a trip to the Palacio de El Pardo, which would seem to imply that my professor isn't too worried about our knowledge of the course material and should also be quite cool. Last week I found out that one of my papers was extended two weeks, and today I've learned that my grade in the class that most worries me is far better than I expected. The prof has given me a 9, an 8 and a 9 on our first three assignments, so provided I don't fuck up the last two, I should be sitting pretty!

I'm currently debating between a few courses for next term and whether to schedule all five of them in one (hellish) day in order to have a four-day weekend to travel. The jury's still out on that one. I've also received notice from two acquaintances that are interested in English classes, so if the scheduling works out, my income is set to go up nicely!

At any rate, writing more would only be delaying the inevitable, so I suppose this shall be all for this entry, dear reader(s?). I just hope that in this race, like so many others, the winner doesn't lose all...