Not a lot happened of interest today. I've got to the stage now where I am getting used to life in Toledo, and I am very comfortable here. If I had my girlfriend here with me I think I could stay here forever!

In class it was just me and Cristina again, but another teacher was there (I don't know his name) for the break, so there were 3 of us at break time. In the lesson today we talked a bit about the differences between family life in the UK and family life in Spain. I told her about my observations about the use of public space in Spain compared to England, and I also told her about my relationship with my family and she told me about hers.

She told me that in Spain it is normal for people to live with their parents much longer than in England. She said that she lives in a house with her parents and her sister (she is the same age as me), and that her grandmother lives with her every other month, and spends the other months living with her aunt. I told her how my family lived all over the place and that I don't see my parents that often, and she says in Spain it is normal to visit your parents a lot more frequently (a couple of times a week). I also told her that my parents are my friends as well as my parents, and when we see each other we will go to the pub and have a few drinks, and she said that in Spain this would be unusual, and that the relationship with your parents is a lot more formal. I also told her how it is more normal in England to have friends/girlfriends at your house, and that when I was younger I could always spend time at home with my girlfriend, and she said that she wishes it was like that here. She said that having such a close relationship with her family can restrict her sometimes and that she doesn't have the same amount of freedom to do what she wants.

When I got home today I had Gazpacho soup, followed by 'Judias Verdes' - green beans with ham and a fried egg. This is one of my favourite dishes.

This afternoon I actually spent quite a long time reading English new sites about the riots in London, as it seems to be quite serious. This has also received a lot of news coverage on Spanish TV, and when I went out to a bar this evening to eat, I watched the riots on the TV there too.

When I got back I had a chat with Cristian and I understood everything he said. I also think that I managed to keep up a good pace in my conversation. This is mainly because we were talking about things which I could express easily in the present indicative tense but I was still impressed with myself because I don't think I sounded too much like a 'guiri' (a slang word for foreigner). I also chatted to Charo about the riots in London, and about the fact that my girlfriend's sister had to leave work earlier because looters had broken into the building next door.

Now it's time for bed! Tomorrow I have an extra lesson in the afternoon, because there will be no school on the Monday due to the fiesta. Adios!