Update from Spain

I've once again neglected my blog. This is silly. Why? Because I like writing it and I think people enjoy reading it. One excuse is that I've actually been busy. My other excuse (or explanation rather) is that I've lacked motivation. Basically, I didn't write for a few weeks and I forgot how much I liked it. Then, two weeks turned into two months. Well anyway, here's a summary of my experience in Spain so far.

Let's start with the basics. I'm living in Valladolid, a city of about 300,000 people located about about 2.5 hours northwest of Madrid by bus. Location is one of the best things about living here. Last year it took me around five hours to get to Madrid, which if you're trying to catch a flight on a short weekend trip it can be quite a hassle. This year I can get there in a couple hours multiple times throughout the day or night. It's true that Valladolid lacks a distinctive feature when it comes to the area's physical landscape. It's not luscious and green like northwest Spain, it doesn't sit nestled against the Picos or Pyrenees, and although there is a "beach" (sand that was brought in along the river that runs through town), there is of course no sunny Mediterranean coastline. Valladolid sits atop the golden, rolling hills of the Central Plateau. For me that's just fine, but I grew up on similar terrain, so maybe I just don't know any different.

One of the most common questions Spanish people ask me is whether I like Jaén (the province in southern Spain where I was last year) or Valladolid better. It's sort of a loaded question, not because I'm afraid of offending them or that they'll be offended if I don't say Valladolid, but because the question is, well, "loaded" with cultural assumptions about northern versus southern people. Generally, northerners (especially those from Valladolid) have a reputation for being "cold", less friendly people than those from the south. When they ask they want to test (or maybe just prove correctly) their stereotypes. I inevitably disappoint them with my response because for me, this year has been a much better experience, but that has little to do with local culture. Last year I lived in a village of 2,500 people. They were, of course, very friendly, but still, it was a village of 2,500 people. This year I feel less isolated. There are just more things to do people to meet. So I tell them that for me, it's better living here, the underlying message being that I'm not basing that decision on what the local culture is like. After that, they most often dig a little deeper, curious to know how an outsider who has lived in both regions perceives what they know to be true. So we talk a little on the surface about cultural differences. I affirm some of what they believe but mostly repeat that my perspective on the subject is rather skewed because of my individual situation. Interestingly enough I rarely hear the stereotype of northerners challenged even by those who live here.

As I've been alluding to so far, I've had more things to do, been busier, etc. One of the things I've been busiest with is teaching private English classes. I teach 12 hours of private classes a week (the same amount I work for my actual job at my high school) and make roughly the same as what I make from the government. My savings took a big hit last year so working extra has been more or less a necessity. Ok, updating my wardrobe and traveling to other countries aren't exactly necessities but hey, they're things I want to do, and I couldn't afford them on my regular salary. I've also been doing loads of "intercambios" or language exchanges. Basically this entails meeting up with a Spaniard who wants to practice their English and with whom you can practice your Spanish. It's a great way for me to make sure I'm practicing every day and also a great way to meet people. There is certainly no shortage of those who want to practice either. If anything the economic crisis has increased the appetite to learn English because of the increased probability it gives one of obtaining a job while also opening up the opportunity to work outside of Spain. I put an ad on a Spanish website to do language exchanges and within a few days I had already received around 25-30 responses. At times I feel like I'm on "The Bachelor: Intercambio Edition".

Some other highlights as I wrap up. I went to Belgium a few weekends ago with my American friend, Lauren, and had a great time (pictures are on facebook). We ate lots of fries covered in mayonnaise, waffles covered in chocolate, and of course sampled the local beverages. On the 24th of December I'm flying to Berlin and meeting up with another American friend, Dave (the one I stayed with over the summer in Colorado). We'll spend four days there before heading to Prague for New Year's. After that we'll get on another bus and head to Budapest. I miss family most around the holidays but this trip looks to be a memorable one. Well thanks for reading the hodgepodge of a blog. I'll try to keep things more updated in the future. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Highlights, thoughts, and observations from week one

I'm coming up on my first full week in Spain. You know what that means (well actually you probably don't). What that means is that it's time for an update. Going to try to keep up with this thing this year.

• Work will be more challenging this year, but that's a good thing. Last year I wasn't asked to plan much outside of class. It was nice not having "homework," but I think I would have gotten more out of it had I been a larger part of the preparation. This year I can already tell the expectations will be higher. Also, I get to help out with bilingual Geography and History classes. Score.
• Apartment found! I'll be moving in on Friday at the latest as the landlord has some last minute shuffling to take of. I'll be rooming with an English guy and a Spanish girl. The place has a great feel. It's open, spacious, and well-lit. Fortunately Spanish apartments always come completely furnished so at the most I may have to buy some bed sheets. Another bonus: Heat is included in my already cheap rent. So unlike last year, I won't be using the "can I see my breath test" to decide whether to turn on my heat.
• It's nice to be in a city. Ok, so Valladolid (around 300,000 strong) isn't a major metropolitan area or anything. However, compared to my living situation last year (2,500 people), everyday here seems like a gift. I can be anonymous yet I can still run into people I know. I can walk anywhere I need to be in 25 minutes or less. There is a university which means the local "scenery" is never lacking. I can catch some of the world's best soccer teams right here in town. And the best part? I don't feel like I'll go insane if I don't get out of town on the weekend, and that alone is enough to keep me happy.

From a Café in Spain

It’s one o’clock on a sunny afternoon in northern Spain. I sit at one of the outdoor cafes that stretch around the large square of Valladolid’s plaza mayor. Three stories of balconies sit outside the evenly spaced windows that look out from the pricey apartments above. The weather is nice, probably in the low 70s. Day’s like this in many ways define what it is to be Spanish, whether in the north or the south, or in separatist Catalonia or Basque Country. Spanish people like to accent their regional and ethnic differences. But as an outsider, one sees their commonalities. Spaniards, as one tour guide once said, are street people. They like to be out. They like to have a good time. The streets will clear some around five, then around nine, finally coming back in full force starting around 11 and then going deep into the night.

But for now, it’s one in the afternoon on Saturday in a northern Spanish city. I’m drinking a Mahou beer and scarfing down a late brunch; two jamón bocadillos. Yes, in Spain you can drink a beer at one in the afternoon and not have anyone think any less of you. I figure these are opportunities you just can’t miss out on.

But it’s time to go apartment search. I’m hoping all those hours watching House Hunters International come in handy. 

My Trip to the Valladolid Foreigners Office (in reverse)

1:59 pm: An employee from the foreigners office and I are running to the closest bank so I can pay the fee for my visa extension. The bank closes at two. He thinks I'll have a better shot at getting them to do the payment if he's with me. If I don't make it in time, I will have to make the nine hour bus trip from Jaén to Valladolid again next week. My legs feel like they're on fire.

1:56 pm:  Things are wrapping up. The guy who's checking my documents and I chat informally. I learn he went to the high school I'll be teaching at next year. The man working at the desk next to us leans over and says in a sarcastic voice, "that's why he's working here." The employee I'm working with realizes I have to get to the bank before it closes. We take off.

A short time before: I arrive to the foreigners office for last time. If I don't get it right this time, I'm screwed. I sit down with a worker who seems to be a nice guy who's willing to help get this thing done no matter what. We start the document check.Things go smoothly.

20 min before: I get to the foreigners office for the second time. I've finally got all my documents in order and with time to spare. I'm thinking about how crazy this experience has been and just how glad I am to finally be done with it. I sit down with a different woman than before only to realize that I have forgotten to get a copy of my Spanish ID. I leave for the photocopy shop.

15 min before: Two hours speedwalking around the city in these jeans with a blazing sun is starting to wear on me. I finally find a place that will let me log into my email and print off my missing letter.

Nearly two hours before: "You're missing a letter," the woman behind the desk tells me. I apparently need something to prove that I completed the entirety of the the academic year before they will let me renew again. I text my director and tell him what I need.

9:30 am or so: I wake up and hit the snooze a few times thinking about how much time I have. A short time later I get up, take a shower, and get dressed. I put on a blue polo shirt and my dark, tight spanish jeans.

Highlights from England

So this week is Holy Week in Spain which allows me to do some travelling. First on my list was a mini-Painter family reunion in England with my cousin Amanda. Here are a few highlights and noteworthy observations about my weekend here in Leeds.

• Porridge is basically oatmeal, but I ate it in England, so now I can say I've eaten porridge.

• My cousin, who is from Kansas, has a little English accented 2 year old. It's cute, but quite strange.

• Southern Spain has made me into a cold weather wimp. Many English people are walking around in t-shirts or no shirts while I'm trying to find more layers to put under my jacket. Not a position I'm use to being in.

• It's a small accomplishment, but over the past few days I've noticed how much my British English vocabulary has expanded during my stay in Spain. My British English vocabulary has expanded while in Spain for two reasons. The first is that my students' textbooks use British vocabulary. The second is because I have a couple friends from the UK here in Spain. Why does it matter? You know those "who we think we are, who society thinks we are, etc.." things floating around facebook? Well, those of us young folk who travel abroad like to think of ourselves as very knowledgeable about the world and other cultures so it's a small personal victory every time we go somewhere and already know "how things work" in some form or another. Makes us feel like all globally minded and stuff.

• I've now been to York but still haven't been to New York.

• 90s shorts are "in" in England! Never again would I have thought I would have seen women walking around in shorts that nearly bordered their bellybuttons. I'm not a huge fan of the style but being hopelessly attracted to women with English accents gives them a pass. 

Who is Your Favorite Basketball Player?

The last time I had a concrete answer to that question was around 2004. When people ask me today, I literally don't know what to say. I just haven't thought about players in those terms for so long. Sure, I pick my favorites in most series. I root for certain guys to finally get that title or prove that they are dominant players. And like most fans who invest their spirits in what they're watching, I get disappointed when things don't work out the way I wanted them to. But there just hasn't been that one player I put above all the rest since that time. Maybe it's part of growing up and seeing the game and its players more analytically and critically. But maybe it's not. Favoritism (not necessarily in a negative context) surely doesn't stop at adulthood.

The last player I loved was Shaquille O'neal. I had Shaq posters, Shaq books, Shaq cards. I even had Shaq on my birthday cake. He meant the world to me as a kid. Then, in 2004, the Lakers blew it all up. Shaq and Kobe couldn't get along but made it to the '04 finals anyway. They lost to a Pistons team that had less talent but was certainly the better "team." None of it made sense. I was mad at the NBA. I was mad at pro athletes in general. But mostly, I was mad at Shaq and Kobe. I felt like I was being robbed of seeing something I loved continue only because two great players couldn't figure out how to coexist in order to keep win championships.

It was never quite the same for me after Shaq left LA. That situation made me for the first time see past the on the court love of the game most professionals have. I started seeing pro athletes more like human beings and less like superheroes. My childlike admiration for Shaq was gone, but I followed him like you can't help but follow an ex. I wanted to see the success he would have and I wanted him to have it. The magic just wasn't there anymore. He went to Miami and won another title. He remained relevant on Phoenix and Cleveland before finally landing on the Celtics. Unfortunately Boston put Shaq in a tough spot when they made him a necessity as opposed to the affordable luxury he should have been at that point in his career. He played well but got hurt as players in their upper 30s so often do. Then, Shaq retired...

Wait, Shaq retired? I'm still trying to get used to the fact that most of the college athletes I see on TV are now younger than me. But seeing my favorite childhood player retire? It was one of those small hints you first start getting even as a young adult that nothing in this world lasts forever. When you first enter the sports world as a kid (even a weird kid like me whose favorite channel was ESPN Classic) you believe that the best you see have always been the best and always will be the best. I mean, you see athletes retire, but these are only the old players that existed before you were born. Something about seeing someone you saw in their prime retire for the first time hits you a little differently, especially when it's your childhood favorite.

The reason I bring all this up now is because I saw Shaq go on on The Daily Show the other night which made me want to revisit some of the old times, the good times. So I got on the old Youtube and watched the big man go to work. I watched him tear down baskets and break backboards, the insane clips that made him seem almost physically inhuman. But that was just the appetizer. The main course consisted of a 7'l'' freak of nature leading the fast break and finishing with his head by the rim and knees chest high; a ferocious intimidator who didn't just swat opponents shots down, but swatted them up fifteen rows in the stands; a solid block of human mass that could back down any player at any time and finish right over them with a dunk that had to leave some questioning why they had even stepped on the court. For dessert, a man who was lighthearted and funloving underneath the tough guy act. A little kid in giant's body.

When I look at Shaq's career objectively, I see the success but I also see the missed opportunities. Although certainly not the final say on the matter, Bill Simmons, one of my favorite sports personalities, has Shaq fifth  behind Bill Russell (1), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2), Wilt Chamberlain (3), and Hakeem Olajuwon (4) for the greatest centers of all time, a list well worthy of argument but one that I mostly agree with. I think most have him at four or five. It's easy to ask what if with Shaq. What if he and Kobe had learned to coexist? What if he stayed in better shape? What if he had learned how to shoot a free throw for god sakes? How many titles could he have won? How many spots on the all time list could he have climbed? We'll never know but it can be definitely be argued that he could have had much more success.

While I'd be happy to debate the ins and outs of Shaq's career anytime, for me it's not what's most important. What's most important for me is how he made me excited to go out and shoot baskets in the driveway. Every kid needs a hero. Shaquille O'neal was mine.

Christmas Vacation Part 2 (Asturias, País Vasco)

In part one, I began my northern journey in Galicia. Now we continue, as did my journey, eastword into Asturias, and finally, País Vasco. Sorry Cantabria, I'm sure you're great, but you're getting skipped.

The whole northern coast from Galicia to País Vasco is considered "Green Spain" (not to be confused with other meanings of green in the Spanish language). It's wet, oceanic climate makes makes it look more like Ireland than what is generally considered "Spanish" from an outsider point of view. *
 

* Get out your favorite American Western Movie. There's a good chance it was filmed in the semi-arid climate in south-eastern Spain.

Asturias. See, it's green (yeah I know, worst caption ever...)

Taken on my first stop in the city of Oviedo, Asturias.

After a brief stay in Oviedo, I headed towards Llanes, a small but highly recommended coastal city in eastern Asturias. Having not pre-planned any of my acommodation before the trip it was nice to finally go somewhere quiet, stay a few days, and figure out what the rest of my trip would look like. Llanes has a beautiful walkway on the bluff above the overlooking the ocean. Apparently, quite a few movies have been filmed there as well.

And I thought Americans overlit during Christmas time.

The permanently fixated sun rays help attract the movies.

My accomodation in Llanes was within walking distance of the beach seen below called, La Playa de Poo. Yes. Literally, the Beach of Poo. While apparently the locals didn't think too highly of it, I thought it neither looked, nor smelled like shit.

Ladies and Gentlemen, La Playa de Poo.

After a few chill days in Llanes, I headed over to País Vasco, the region I was most excited about visiting. The Basque people have their own language and unique identity among Spaniards. Many Basque's want independence from the rest of Spain and a small number have resorted to terrorist attacks to try to achieve this end. But the Basque people have a long and rich history that can't and shouldn't be defined in terms of the violence. A few interesting facts about the people: Their language is the last remaining language in Europe that doesn't have Indo-European roots or classification. They have a long history of nautical exploration. Magellan's crew that was the first to circumnavigate the globe was largely of Basque origin (after Magellan died during the journey, his second in command, a Basque man, finished the journey). Due to location and an abundance of natural recources, País Vasco has been the historic center of Spain's industrialization efforts and today is the wealthiest region in Spain. 

I started in Bilbao, the largest city in the region (about 350,000 people). Here is the city from the mountains above. The dark shades of green and blue were just how I imagined it.

The person who designed this deserves a prize in my book.

I don't know what it is about watching a building being destroyed that we men find so irresistable.

Beautiful architecture in Bilbao.

On my way to my final destination, San Sebastián. I stopped over in Guernica. Yes, that Guernica. The one from Picasso's famous painting. Here was a recreation they had in the town.

Ok, on to San Sebastián which I'm fairly certain the travel channel told me at some point was the culinary capital of the world. Many also consider it to be the most beautiful city in Spain. 

 

One of the city's plazas.

Well that just about concludes my trip but I'll end on a religious note. As my coaches always put it, the eye in the sky don't lie. And although they were mostly talking about game film, this was still the first thing to pop in my head when I saw this statue. Thanks as always for reading.

Christmas blog is here!

Now that it's mid-february, I think it's about time to share what I did over Christmas break. Yeah, the blog's been on hiatus. I have no good explanation why. No worries, all blog subscribers will be reimbursed the full $0.49 for the month of January. Checks are in the mail.

On to Christmas. Christmas vacation would have been an ideal time to leave the country and travel around Europe a bit. However, none of my European friends/relatives outside of Spain were free any time during the two weeks I had for travelling. No problem. Perfect opportunity to do some sightseeing around Spain on my own.

I started off in the region of Galicia (seen above) in the city Santiago de Compostela. My Brazilian friend, Marcio, who I met my final year studying in the U.S., studies at the university there and invited me to spend christmas with his family. Santiago is most famous for being the final destination on El Camino de Santiago, a centuries old pilgramage route that runs across much of northern Spain and other countries as well. The most well know site in the city is the Cathedral, a project that began in the (don't fail me now wikipedia) 11th century with constant additions for the next 700 years or so. The cathedral supposedly houses the remains of the Apostle James (brother of John, not the other James), the apostle credited with bringing Christianity to the Celts on the Iberian Peninsula after Jesus's death.

Inside the Cathedral.

Here is Marico with his son, Marcio.

I'm pretty sure it was the first time I had eaten Paella for Christmas dinner. I'm no expert, but Marcio cooked it up right.

We opened presents later that night. Papa Noel brought Marcio Jr. Spongebog and his friends. I got a scarf which I'm finally "warming up" to.

On Christmas day Marcio and I went up to A Coruña, a famous coastal city in northwest Galicia. Here is the city's lighthouse. This rocky coastline with beaches dotted along the way is typical of Galicia and northern Spain. Darn the season. I'm told the beach below (bottom right corner) is nude in the summer.

More of A Coruña.

If there was ever a prescribed pose for a given location and shot distance, this would be it.

Later during my stay in Galicia I went to see some old Celtic ruins. Castro de Baroña as it's called now dates back more than 2,000 years. Here it is from a distance.

Lastly, a few more shots of Santiago. Such a beautiful city. Oh yeah, and one of me flying as well. Enjoy!

Part two soon.