Greek Gods in Rainstorms

Drizzle.

5th March 2009

Chloe, darling ray of sunshine through the rain of Santiago;

I am pleased to be able to respond to your delightful letter immediately, although less pleased with the content, it has to be said. I shan't beat around the bush, and I am of the opinion that although attending regular fitness classes is a respectable way to spend the time, perhaps not so intellectual expanding as I would have wished, I refute wholeheartedly you assumption that to lose weight is a necessary action. I fully understand, being in much the same position as yourself vis a vis a slimmer 16 year old self, the envy one may feel towards the past, but being an aficionado of your beautiful self, I refuse to believe that you need to alter it in anyway so as to attract a mate.

I am also filled with longing to be present at your inaugration to the literary world of Manchester, and assign you the task of headhunting any prospective males to fill the spots of intellectual companions in the forthcoming year. With so many opportunities afoot, both that of the bookish population of our beloved city, and with the much lauded nights out, it is highly likely that your status on the book of face will be changing far more rapidly than mine. I have had some textual communication with my galician interest, but although we decided that we would arrange a rendezvous this week, it appears that he is unwilling, or this is the message I am choosing to receive from his lack of further communication. It is thus that I am pinning all my hopes on your new workmates, or on my dashing analysis teacher, a true intellectual of herculean proportions, with tanned, rugged skin, and a piercing galician stare. This being unlikely to result in anything, my apparent inability to speak spanish in the face of such a god proving to thwart my efforts a little; I am unlikely to persuade him of my prowess being powerless to tell him my name...

I am pleased to tell you that on Tuesday night I finally succeeded in my mission to complete an outing without the inevitable dissolution into tears. I may have been a picture of drunkeness, the pouring rain doing little to improve my dishevelled looks, but remained dry eyed the entire night. I have yet to bump into the bane of my life, but am feeling sufficiently buoyed by the growing circle of friends we are accumulating here (many mixed nationalities, making spanish the language of choice, hence why they are still named friends, they are unable to understand any abuse I accidently hurl...) to not mind as drastically his presence in the city.

I await with anticipation an account of your literary evening, and send all the love it is possible to include in a trans-national email.

Love always,
Hannah xxx

The nearby monastery, in a rare burst of sunshine