(Last night)
"Destiny meant that we should meet", said a guy in a toque and sweater, that suddenly appeared in the stairway below me, at the intersection of two streets (both subiendo the hill in stairs and cobblestones).

Where are you going? I thought I would go to the Chien Andalou for a copita and some tapas. Oh, I thought I would go there too, I said. Well then let's go together. I am Miguel, kiss, kiss. Hello I am Ana, kiss, kiss.

Miguel was obviously gitano, and told me that he liked to compose his own lyrics and sing flamenco. So I went and hung out with Miguel at the Chien Andalou, and he introduced me to his tio Vitorio, who looked like a serious flamenco singer, which he apparently was. Fortunately for me, Miguel already had an English girlfriend, whose return from England he appeared to be struggling to wait for. This is one of the few times I've met gitanos that geniunely like payo girls (white, non-gitana). Miguel was harmless and sweet, despite touching my hair, telling me he would like to see me dressed in a traje de gitana (flamenco dress), and trying to kiss me directly on the mouth twice.

There are vast cultural differences, and one of my passions in life is exploring other cultures, so I am prepared to make allowances and give the benefit of the doubt when I do not fully understand the norms and rules. Basically to suspend my own rules at times and see what happens. Anyways, vibes are everything - some people are threatening, others are not. I have already gotten myself into trouble by giving too much benefit of the doubt, but that is what it takes to understand another culture, not just judge it by my own rules that to all my peers are just "right", no questions asked.

It was a relatively boring evening in the end, because Miguel suddenly decided he was going home, none of the gitanos were doing any after hours singing. I ended up talking to a Danish flamenco guitar student who was struggling with his Spanish.