Hey I've passed my first year as an expat hurhur

Thanks everyone for the advice in the earlier post. I'll get back to replying to the comments tonight - the internet has been down for two days here because apparently Spain can't handle broadband when it rains and I've only got a few minutes before I leave for work (I took the morning off to do some paperwork. Because it's Spain and they like to do things illegally, it's still not sorted.)*

There is less than a fortnight to go to Bosnia and I’m still nowhere near sorted. I have far too much to do in the flat, I have to do various tedious Spanish paperwork things to reclaim taxes from last year and have to get stuff sorted for the UK, like finding my bank account details and getting the internets switched on whilst I’m there. My coping mechanism for such drama snowballing into my life is this: sitting back and ignoring it. It’s working so far.

In other random country news, I was called by recruiters in Belgium wondering if I would consider attending for an interview to work with a medical company in Brussels. I’m torn, because I am happy where I am now (finally) and Belgium seems to be so grey! I left Northern Europe behind so I wouldn’t suffer from SAD for nine months of the year. Also, tax runs at up to 55% in Belgium. That’s just crazy. But I bet their trains run on time, Barcelona. >:

Speaking of teh grey, I am currently reading The Monk, by Matthew Lewis. It’s a fine Gothic tale, but makes up its own rules on Catholicism and also has its Spanish characters speaking Italian, supposedly because Lewis didn’t think his readers would notice. Also, All random Words are Capitalised, so it Feels like I’m Reading Anne Rice. Exploding helicopters and character assassination notwithstanding.

Finally, I spoke with my sister yesterday, who said she and her fiancé are getting married in Greece next September, so, you know, be there. I’m actually kind of excited about it and really happy for her, almost enough to overcome the horror of spending a week on a 40-kilometre square island with several people who share my DNA.

*Seriously, WTF. Spain's immigration and tax system is ILLEGAL under EU law, deliberately long-winded and silly to discourage illegal immigrants (whom I doubt rush to the police station to declare themselves, asshats) and the European courts have told them to at least stop fucking over European citizens, but still you have to fill in three different forms in three different place just to initiate your tax being paid at the same rate as a Spanish citizen. WTF, why can't the EU just fine this stupid country so they get shocked into falling into line with the rest of us? Cabrons!