Yesterday I went to see a very small apartment that was up for rent, near work. It’s the price that I paid for the room in the shared apartment where I stayed last year. It’s tiny but well organized. The space is basically a double storied room of 1.5 height, so that the bed that is upstairs requires you to duck and you can’t stand at full height. I thought it was perfect for me, except for the meager kitchen, and for the fact that it’s up for rent starting August, and in this hot rental market in Madrid the landlord made it clear that being able to move in as soon as possible was high in his list, so I said I’d be willing to move in early.

The landlord was a German fellow with excellent Spanish and English in his mid-forties. He was showing the place during three consecutive days. I asked if he would see everyone and choose from the pool and he said yes. I would have taken it on the spot. I noticed myself trying to establish rapport and him being pleased but reserved. I said I wanted to put forth my candidature for consideration and that I had nothing left to say except that I hoped they chose me. He said “I will remember you, you speak English”, to which I was puzzled.

Yesterday I went to a new-for-me yoga studio that is around the corner from my current dwelling. A month ago, on yoga’s international day, I attended the studio after a yoga Practice in front of the Royal Palace with V. The public practice was disappointing so I booked a class through an app to get my daily dose.

When I arrived to the studio, the owner (a fit woman perhaps in her early fifties) explained to me that, due to yoga’s international day, the teacher training students were imparting the classes. I knew the practice would be introductory but I was curious: who knows, it could be an inspired novice teacher. This was not the case, the teacher was nervous manifesting in giggling. She even laughed in the middle of the closing “om”.

When I came out of the class the owner discretely asked me to write to her through whatsapp. I nodded and said I understood. I later wrote her saying I hoped that we had and understanding that that was not the class I was expecting to receive and we agreed on a replacement class.

I asked for my replacement class yesterday, but the owner did not respond in time so I reserved the class, clearing up that in no way I expected to redeem her offer last minute and to not worry, her attention had been excellent. When I arrived to the studio the owner was coming out the class, she hadn’t replied because she was giving the previous class herself. I said not to worry about this or the replacement class. She said no no on Saturday I’m giving a master class at 11am and it would be great if you could come. I’d swear she was being flirtatious and myself receptive to it, though there’s room for that being her natural way of being.