You get what you pay for...

So, yes, it's story time...

So, I have an overnight trip to Toledo coming up (tomorrow) and a week-long break that starts at the end of the month, and silly me, I didn't think Europeans used backpacks and that bringing one would clearly label me as an American, so I didn't bring one...Well, Europeans use backpacks all the time...and I'm going to need one when I go on these trips that I've mentioned...so yesterday I decided to go get a cheap backpack for these purposes...

But, since I'm only going to be using the backpack for like 2 months here in Spain, I didn't want to fork over too much for one...So, naturally I went to a chino...Let me explain...In Spain, there are "chinos" everywhere: they are stores full of cheap stuff that is of cheap quality, generally run by someone of Asian descent (Chinese? perhaps...but then again Spaniards pretty much just use three classifications for anyone who is non-Spaniard, or so I've heard: negro [anyone whose skin is black], chino [anyone who looks like they are Asian], and guiri [everyone else]) So yes, a little culture lesson for the day... (I, obviously, would be considered a "guiri")...So, anyway, I stopped by a chino yesterday on the way home from school and found a backpack that looked to be about the size I was thinking of, and it was 7,80€, which was a price I was willing to pay...pretty cheap...so I took it back to the apartment and got it all ready to go: adjusted the straps, took the tags off, checked out all the pockets, etc...

So today, I decided to take it to school with me because then I could bring my computer but it wouldn't be as big of a pain (since it was a backpack instead of an over-one-shoulder-type bag)...So, I'm walking out of the apartment and am in the hall of the building and I decide I should try to tighten the straps to make it a bit comfier...so I pull on one strap...*POP!* the stupid little plastic thinger that allows the straps to be adjusted just up and broke on me! I had thoughts, in Spanish, and I believe they contained bad words...I was not happy, and I hadn't even made it out the door of the building ONCE with the backpack...and I thought to myself, "You get what you pay for..."

The end... (except for the walking to school trying to hold the strap together with my hand and pretty much having my hand cramp up from the effort...I believe it's a 25-30 minute walk...)

So yeah, not a great start to the day, but hopefully I can fix the darned bag when I get back (I brought a sewing kit along...), and hopefully classes go well, and hopefully Toledo is good tomorrow and Friday, and hopefully we do something fun and relaxing this weekend...(like a trip to Jerez...Ellen, what are your plans for the weekend??)