In Oxford, starting as an RA officially tomorrow. Orientation was good. We'll see how this goes. I suppose there is a ton I could talk about but my time is extremely limited. In general I won't have much internet access at all. When I do, it will be for very short periods of time, most likely. I only have two days off for the entire month of July. Too bad. It's gonna be extremely busy but should also be pretty fun too, I think.
The velcro shoes still hurt to walk in. What a bad purchase.
Ok, gotta go. Maybe more soon, but probably not.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
For the Record
I bought velcro shoes at ASDA (Wal-Mart) for £10 yesterday. The saddest part is that I definitely overpaid.
Monday, June 19, 2006
So Long Southampton, Hola Oxford
So I ship off to Oxford on Thursday to start work as an RA. Whoop. Oh yeah, and I got the Cambridge gig too, so I won't be home until after August 13th. The second program doesn't pay as well as the first since it's a week shorter, but oh well.
I've definitely enjoyed my time here in Southampton, just being able to relax and not worry too much about anything, but I really am starting to feel like a potato. I attended a (personal) record 4 barbecues in one week, and completely made up for being seperated from my precious internets in Spain by spending a sad number of hours crawling around the web and playing stupid online games. I've also managed to watch at least one World Cup game per day which has been an excellent diversion. Side note: The US managed a whole hell of a lot better facing Italy than when they played the CR, despite being down 2 men for half the game. But anyway, I don't think I've gone this long without being employed since my work career started 6 or 7 years back and it feels weird.
Speaking of monkeymakin', I'm inquiring into the BBC this week about what I might be able to do to augment my prospects of becoming one of their cameramen (or whatever sort of donkeyworker they need) after I graduate. I understand it's a ridiculously competitive company to try to get a job for, but I think I'd make a decent candidate with the amount of experience I've amassed these past 4 or 5 years. Plus I can add the whole American dimension on things, which everyone is dying to get a piece of.
Tomorrow I'm headed to Matt's parent's place for yet more BBQing and the England/Sweden match. Should be tasty good times. Last chance I'll get to hang out with the Harding family before I head off to work. It's worth noting that they are good people and have been very cool to me since I've been here. Wednesday night we'll be headed out for a curry and a couple beers, then it's off to the Ox the next morning.
It's been a rush to get all my forms and crap filled out for the job since ASA waited 'til the absolute last minute to send them along. I guess it's because I'm a last minute hire, but still, my getting paid depends on whether or not I can get my W-4 and I-9 and whatever else faxed to them as soon as possible.
Looking over my responsiblities and the rules/regulations of the program has led me to feel slightly apprehensive about this whole thing. I have been away from the "holy-shit-we-need-to-put-a-protective-bubble-around-everyone-or-someone-might-get-a-splinter" mentality that seems to be all-pervasive in America and is strangely absent throughout Europe. Despite ASA's claims that they don't wish to create a "police state" or "military environment" within the program, the sheer number of offenses that I personally could be dismissed from the program for (sans paycheck) - on the basis of nothing more than a rumor - are a bit staggering. Gossip apparantly plays a very large role in how things are decided by the staff. This is at least what my Resident Advisor Handbook is telling me. I've yet to see how things are actually run on the ground as it generally is never quite like they play it up in the instruction booklet. We do, sadly enough, have to go on "Town Patrol," and make sure the kids aren't causin' a ruckus off-campus during their free time. I'm gonna chalk all this up to part of my re-introduction to American culture and hope it only helps to further decrease the inevitable culture shock I'll be feeling upon my return to the States (ha!).
Oh, and I got a kick out of this. Included in my packet-o-info was a Packing Suggestions sheet that spends 2 paragraphs explaining the importance of travelling light and then recommends that you bring no less than:
8-10 pairs of underwear
8-10 pairs of socks
5 pairs of jeans or casual pants (I don't think I own this many)
5 pairs of shorts (again, don't own this many)
8 casual shirts
2 dressy outfits
2-3 sweaters/sweatshirts
1-2 pairs of sweatpants
1 pair of sneakers
1 pair of "sturdy walking shoes" (quotes added for effect)
1 pair of dress shoes
swimming trunks and athletic gear (as necessary)
a rainproof jacket
2 large towels
a bath robe
[and this is just the clothes list]
Pack light?!!? Is that a sick joke? I mean, it's a 4 week program and there are laundry facilities on site. What the hell is packing heavy to these people? I couldn't help laughing at that, especially since I don't have half that crap and am wearing the same ratty ass clothes I brought with me to Spain (most of which I've owned for a long time before that). My sneakers (which will double as my "sturdy walking shoes") have both almost split in two because they have so many holes in them (which reminds me I need to buy some duct tape or get myself some sweatshop puma ripoffs at ASDA) and my jeans are doing that whole "gaping-knee-hole-that-keeps-getting-bigger-because-I-forget-it's-there-and-jam-my-foot-into-it-tearing-it-even-more-every-time-I-put-my-pants-on" thing. Nice outfits are a straight up no, so I'll have to figure something out before we head over for our tour of Parliament. I actually think I might have one button down white shirt, but it's currently crumpled up in a ball at the bottom of my [19kg overweight by easyJet's standards] duffle bag.
So I'm not sure what internet access is gonna look like during this thing. The handbook keeps talking about my "day off" but whether this means I have one day off for the entire month, or per week is beyond me. I'm praying it's the latter, of course, although "day off" is always referenced in the singular, and never once in the plural *shiver*. I would assume I would have some sort of access to the internets somewhere on campus during the day, but this hasn't been explained to me in any sort of detail yet. I know I will have office duty about once a week, so I should have a computer in front of me then, but as for leisure time, I don't yet know what this is shaping up to be like. I do have a British SIM card for my mobile now so if anybody wants to give along a friendly hello (and can afford the long distance charges) I can be contacted at (011 44) 7927 004 722 (if calling from the States). Texts are also welcome, of course. Oh, and the spacing I used for that phone number is completey arbitrary because I still can't figure out how the hell they do that here. Regardless, I'll try to slide an update in every once in a while and keep up with emails and whatnot.
As an added feature, now that I've had some time to reflect a bit, I've decided to add a couple things I miss about Spain in each post (or as I remember them). Here's a couple to get us started
Things I miss about Spain:
- Random explosions and loud crashes during the night - I can't explain this, but they became comforting after a while. They spice up your dreams like a jalapeno pepper does your peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- The fashionably executed mullet (seriously) - There were so many of them, the ones that were actually well kempt (or entirely way over the top) really did stand out. If I ever see one in England (the British have adopted the same policy of ridicule towards the hair"style" as America has, therefore sightings are rare) it's usually greasy and wily like the Amazon. I think I miss the gel-spiked-highlighted-faux hawk-with-rat-tail-modifier the most. A rare beauty, indeed.
- Goofy Spaniards. The British take themselves too seriously. I miss the Spanish way of taking everything with a grain of salt: from STDs to terrorism to embarrasing leg hair.
On that note, Goodnight!
Oh and I almost forgot, check out this pure ridiculousness. I can't stop marvelling at it.
I've definitely enjoyed my time here in Southampton, just being able to relax and not worry too much about anything, but I really am starting to feel like a potato. I attended a (personal) record 4 barbecues in one week, and completely made up for being seperated from my precious internets in Spain by spending a sad number of hours crawling around the web and playing stupid online games. I've also managed to watch at least one World Cup game per day which has been an excellent diversion. Side note: The US managed a whole hell of a lot better facing Italy than when they played the CR, despite being down 2 men for half the game. But anyway, I don't think I've gone this long without being employed since my work career started 6 or 7 years back and it feels weird.
Speaking of monkeymakin', I'm inquiring into the BBC this week about what I might be able to do to augment my prospects of becoming one of their cameramen (or whatever sort of donkeyworker they need) after I graduate. I understand it's a ridiculously competitive company to try to get a job for, but I think I'd make a decent candidate with the amount of experience I've amassed these past 4 or 5 years. Plus I can add the whole American dimension on things, which everyone is dying to get a piece of.
Tomorrow I'm headed to Matt's parent's place for yet more BBQing and the England/Sweden match. Should be tasty good times. Last chance I'll get to hang out with the Harding family before I head off to work. It's worth noting that they are good people and have been very cool to me since I've been here. Wednesday night we'll be headed out for a curry and a couple beers, then it's off to the Ox the next morning.
It's been a rush to get all my forms and crap filled out for the job since ASA waited 'til the absolute last minute to send them along. I guess it's because I'm a last minute hire, but still, my getting paid depends on whether or not I can get my W-4 and I-9 and whatever else faxed to them as soon as possible.
Looking over my responsiblities and the rules/regulations of the program has led me to feel slightly apprehensive about this whole thing. I have been away from the "holy-shit-we-need-to-put-a-protective-bubble-around-everyone-or-someone-might-get-a-splinter" mentality that seems to be all-pervasive in America and is strangely absent throughout Europe. Despite ASA's claims that they don't wish to create a "police state" or "military environment" within the program, the sheer number of offenses that I personally could be dismissed from the program for (sans paycheck) - on the basis of nothing more than a rumor - are a bit staggering. Gossip apparantly plays a very large role in how things are decided by the staff. This is at least what my Resident Advisor Handbook is telling me. I've yet to see how things are actually run on the ground as it generally is never quite like they play it up in the instruction booklet. We do, sadly enough, have to go on "Town Patrol," and make sure the kids aren't causin' a ruckus off-campus during their free time. I'm gonna chalk all this up to part of my re-introduction to American culture and hope it only helps to further decrease the inevitable culture shock I'll be feeling upon my return to the States (ha!).
Oh, and I got a kick out of this. Included in my packet-o-info was a Packing Suggestions sheet that spends 2 paragraphs explaining the importance of travelling light and then recommends that you bring no less than:
8-10 pairs of underwear
8-10 pairs of socks
5 pairs of jeans or casual pants (I don't think I own this many)
5 pairs of shorts (again, don't own this many)
8 casual shirts
2 dressy outfits
2-3 sweaters/sweatshirts
1-2 pairs of sweatpants
1 pair of sneakers
1 pair of "sturdy walking shoes" (quotes added for effect)
1 pair of dress shoes
swimming trunks and athletic gear (as necessary)
a rainproof jacket
2 large towels
a bath robe
[and this is just the clothes list]
Pack light?!!? Is that a sick joke? I mean, it's a 4 week program and there are laundry facilities on site. What the hell is packing heavy to these people? I couldn't help laughing at that, especially since I don't have half that crap and am wearing the same ratty ass clothes I brought with me to Spain (most of which I've owned for a long time before that). My sneakers (which will double as my "sturdy walking shoes") have both almost split in two because they have so many holes in them (which reminds me I need to buy some duct tape or get myself some sweatshop puma ripoffs at ASDA) and my jeans are doing that whole "gaping-knee-hole-that-keeps-getting-bigger-because-I-forget-it's-there-and-jam-my-foot-into-it-tearing-it-even-more-every-time-I-put-my-pants-on" thing. Nice outfits are a straight up no, so I'll have to figure something out before we head over for our tour of Parliament. I actually think I might have one button down white shirt, but it's currently crumpled up in a ball at the bottom of my [19kg overweight by easyJet's standards] duffle bag.
So I'm not sure what internet access is gonna look like during this thing. The handbook keeps talking about my "day off" but whether this means I have one day off for the entire month, or per week is beyond me. I'm praying it's the latter, of course, although "day off" is always referenced in the singular, and never once in the plural *shiver*. I would assume I would have some sort of access to the internets somewhere on campus during the day, but this hasn't been explained to me in any sort of detail yet. I know I will have office duty about once a week, so I should have a computer in front of me then, but as for leisure time, I don't yet know what this is shaping up to be like. I do have a British SIM card for my mobile now so if anybody wants to give along a friendly hello (and can afford the long distance charges) I can be contacted at (011 44) 7927 004 722 (if calling from the States). Texts are also welcome, of course. Oh, and the spacing I used for that phone number is completey arbitrary because I still can't figure out how the hell they do that here. Regardless, I'll try to slide an update in every once in a while and keep up with emails and whatnot.
As an added feature, now that I've had some time to reflect a bit, I've decided to add a couple things I miss about Spain in each post (or as I remember them). Here's a couple to get us started
Things I miss about Spain:
- Random explosions and loud crashes during the night - I can't explain this, but they became comforting after a while. They spice up your dreams like a jalapeno pepper does your peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- The fashionably executed mullet (seriously) - There were so many of them, the ones that were actually well kempt (or entirely way over the top) really did stand out. If I ever see one in England (the British have adopted the same policy of ridicule towards the hair"style" as America has, therefore sightings are rare) it's usually greasy and wily like the Amazon. I think I miss the gel-spiked-highlighted-faux hawk-with-rat-tail-modifier the most. A rare beauty, indeed.
- Goofy Spaniards. The British take themselves too seriously. I miss the Spanish way of taking everything with a grain of salt: from STDs to terrorism to embarrasing leg hair.
On that note, Goodnight!
Oh and I almost forgot, check out this pure ridiculousness. I can't stop marvelling at it.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
My place of employment, odds and ends
I shall be working in Oxford for the months of July (Starting June 22nd). I was really hoping to be in Barcelona, but I am still happy to have something to do here in England for the summer. As explained before, I'll be an RA for American teenagers in a cultural immersion program. They will be taking classes for half the day. The other half of the day they will partake in activities and excursions. That's where I come in. I will be creating/running these activities and staffing the excursions. I'm actually kind of psyched about this, because looking through the program website, I will get to see a good amount of interesting stuff free of charge in and around Oxford. While I have seen some of the attractions (like Stonehenge), I've never actually been to Oxford so there is a whole millenium and a half or more of "new" history (like every city in Europe) for me to take in.
I get fed three meals a day (lunch being a stipend that I get to spend wherever I want) and free housing. This is wonderfully excellent as it will bring my general expenses down to somewhere slightly above zero. Besides the various "bits and bobs" (<--- one of many anglicisms I've picked up since being here) like souveners etc., I doubtfully will have much time to get out to the pub for a drink, and even if I do, won't be able to spend anywhere near enough money to get inebriated since my job is technically a 24-hour one. I need to be ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat (or a blacked-out student).
I'm not too certain about the possibility of staffing an additional, albeit shorter, program in Cambridge after the Oxford one is completed. I'd like to, but I haven't received word yet if they will put me on or not.
So enough about work. The strict barbecue/house party regimen I've been on has left me a bit drained and *gasp* tired of barbecue, but that's only because I've been doing it so much in such a short period of time. I think a few days of recovery will have my mouth watering for kebabs and wings again in no time. The weather thus far has been friggen fantastic, although the forecast predicts a week of meh-rainy starting Sunday. It seems rather serendipitous that these two weeks of sunshine have coincided so perfectly with the completion of exams period at the university, especially since it's following on the heels of an entire month of rain. Somehow, however, England still manages to find itself in a drought this year. Go figure.
Matt has to start working at ASDA (Wal-Mart) as much as he can to save up some cash this week. He's been unemployed (or rather not putting in any hours) for the last couple months and wants to buy a car soon since his got wrecked not too long ago. He only works graveyard shifts since he says it's the only way the money becomes worth it. Consequently, I'll be chilling at his house without him, while he lives at his parent's place (which is walking distance from work) putting in as many hours as possible. I don't mind being on my own, as that's what I was doing the first week and a half I was here. Plus, Matt is generous enough to let me stay with him in the first place, so I can't expect him to suspend his life for an entire month just to keep me entertained. I'm quite grateful just to have a free place to stay this entire time.
Being in England has gotten me a bit world-cup crazy since everybody here seems to get obsessively involved. I watched the USA get their asses handed to them in minced up pieces by the Czech Republic yesterday. Considering how well the US fared in 2002 (making it to the quarter-finals), it was pretty pathetic watching them play their first game. They had no strategy, no playmaking ability, and seemed to lack the willingness to pass to their own team. Sure, the three goals the CR scored were all fantastically executed, but the US didn't exactly offer up any sort of offensive resistance. If they have any hopes of making it into the knockout rounds, they are more than likely going to need to win their next two games. Not what I'd call terribly likely.
Alright, I've been lazing around all day so far and need to get up and do something with myself. I shall keep updates as to what my plans are looking like. I still need a new name for my blog since the current one is becoming terribly dated. The sad lack of audience participation has saddened me. Oh well.
Later
I get fed three meals a day (lunch being a stipend that I get to spend wherever I want) and free housing. This is wonderfully excellent as it will bring my general expenses down to somewhere slightly above zero. Besides the various "bits and bobs" (<--- one of many anglicisms I've picked up since being here) like souveners etc., I doubtfully will have much time to get out to the pub for a drink, and even if I do, won't be able to spend anywhere near enough money to get inebriated since my job is technically a 24-hour one. I need to be ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat (or a blacked-out student).
I'm not too certain about the possibility of staffing an additional, albeit shorter, program in Cambridge after the Oxford one is completed. I'd like to, but I haven't received word yet if they will put me on or not.
So enough about work. The strict barbecue/house party regimen I've been on has left me a bit drained and *gasp* tired of barbecue, but that's only because I've been doing it so much in such a short period of time. I think a few days of recovery will have my mouth watering for kebabs and wings again in no time. The weather thus far has been friggen fantastic, although the forecast predicts a week of meh-rainy starting Sunday. It seems rather serendipitous that these two weeks of sunshine have coincided so perfectly with the completion of exams period at the university, especially since it's following on the heels of an entire month of rain. Somehow, however, England still manages to find itself in a drought this year. Go figure.
Matt has to start working at ASDA (Wal-Mart) as much as he can to save up some cash this week. He's been unemployed (or rather not putting in any hours) for the last couple months and wants to buy a car soon since his got wrecked not too long ago. He only works graveyard shifts since he says it's the only way the money becomes worth it. Consequently, I'll be chilling at his house without him, while he lives at his parent's place (which is walking distance from work) putting in as many hours as possible. I don't mind being on my own, as that's what I was doing the first week and a half I was here. Plus, Matt is generous enough to let me stay with him in the first place, so I can't expect him to suspend his life for an entire month just to keep me entertained. I'm quite grateful just to have a free place to stay this entire time.
Being in England has gotten me a bit world-cup crazy since everybody here seems to get obsessively involved. I watched the USA get their asses handed to them in minced up pieces by the Czech Republic yesterday. Considering how well the US fared in 2002 (making it to the quarter-finals), it was pretty pathetic watching them play their first game. They had no strategy, no playmaking ability, and seemed to lack the willingness to pass to their own team. Sure, the three goals the CR scored were all fantastically executed, but the US didn't exactly offer up any sort of offensive resistance. If they have any hopes of making it into the knockout rounds, they are more than likely going to need to win their next two games. Not what I'd call terribly likely.
Alright, I've been lazing around all day so far and need to get up and do something with myself. I shall keep updates as to what my plans are looking like. I still need a new name for my blog since the current one is becoming terribly dated. The sad lack of audience participation has saddened me. Oh well.
Later
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Found a Job
Got myself some employment!
It came from a somewhat unexpected place, left field I suppose you'd call it, but it came nonetheless. I had a phone interview with ASA (www.asaprograms.com), the Barcelona RA job I applied for god knows how many months back. As it turned out , somebody backed out last minute on them, and they contacted me saying they wanted to interview. I sat (actually I was pacing) through a 45 minute phone interview thinking I was just barely hacking it and not caring that much, but at the end she told me I already had the job. They didn't know at that point whether or not I would be working in Barcelona or England, so the details are a bit hazy. If I work in England, apparantly it'll be two programs (@ Oxford and Cambridge University respectively) consecutively. I think I'd rather work in Barcelona, just because at this point I've grown really attached to Spain, even though it would be less money and a shorter time span. If I end up in England though I wont compain much.
Basically, my job will consist of being a mentor type to the kids, giving them advice and helping them adjust to a new and unfamiliar culture. There are lots of activities every night that I am to help create, modify, organize, and run. I'm kinda interested to see how that goes. I'm also supposed to lay down the law as necessary, but I was told they aren't trying to create a "police state atmosphere," so despite the program's "no tolerance policy" on drugs and alcohol, I'm assuming there is a lot of gray area when it comes to dealing with kids that will come home after a night of indulging in the benefits of a culture whose attitude is a bit more lenient towards the topic of consumption than the one they are used to. Of course, I'll know about all of this once I get there and go through orientation and talk to staff and all that, blah blah blah.
So Matt finally finished with his exams and has been liberated from the shackles of acedemia. That means I have a lot more to do during the day. Tuesday night Pub Golf was supposed to be going on, yet didn't because people ended up just wanting to save money instead of hitting up 9 different pubs. The result was finding 3 or 4 relatively budget places to drink, and staying at each for long enough to get the Job done. I didn't take part in any of it really since I seemed to have contracted some sort of stomach bug. I joined everyone for a little while to hang out, but wasn't able to imbibe quite like the others. I did manage to learn a small handful of (interesting) British Drinking Games which will be fun to bring back to the States, but for the most part the night seemed to be one huge absurdity. I'm sad I had to miss out on it.
Last night we barbecued at Butcher and Sam's place. This was a great deal of fun for me just because it was the first English barbecue I had been to (not to mention the first of any kind of barbecue since last summer). Basically it was a hell of a lot like an American barbecue with the same delicious results one comes to expect from such an affair. Ironically, this happened to be the most excessive, gluttonous barbecue I've ever been to. Despite the fact that there wasn't over 10 people present, we were grilling for over 3 hours straight. I have no idea where all the food came from, but there seemed to be no end to it. In any case, I had a great time and was finally able to sit back and relax without the responsibility of having to find a job or make the decision to find my way back home hanging over my head.
Tonight there is a house party at Gruber's we are charged with attending, and tomorrow Gemma is having a BBQ at her place. It seems to be a general time for summer celebration as college is out until October and everybody is enjoying the incredible weather that has become all-pervasive as of this week. It's actually starting to feel like summer here. Incredible!
I'm sad I'm missing the Zappa concert I wanted to attend, but oh well. Maybe if it goes well enough they'll do another one next year. I'm also sad I don't get to see Bill before he heads off to NH, but I will make it a point to catch up with him before he's off to Cali. It's interesting - albeit not exactly surprising - how life continues to go on seamlessly in my abscence. It can be tough to keep up with everyone all the time but I've been trying the best I can. The internets make this much easier on the whole.
So now I'm just loafing around, waiting to find out where I'm working for July, and generally just trying to enjoy some summer break whilst keeping costs relatively low. I keep forgetting to bring my camera out, but I will try to remember for tonight. I'm interested to see what a British House Party is going to look like, and am already figuring it's going to be worth having some pictures of. These people are insane.
I've decided to keep the blog up for as long as I see fit. If I figure it's getting ridiculously monotonous or a waste of time I can always take it down. I do need a new name however, since I'm no longer in Spain.
Any suggestions?
It came from a somewhat unexpected place, left field I suppose you'd call it, but it came nonetheless. I had a phone interview with ASA (www.asaprograms.com), the Barcelona RA job I applied for god knows how many months back. As it turned out , somebody backed out last minute on them, and they contacted me saying they wanted to interview. I sat (actually I was pacing) through a 45 minute phone interview thinking I was just barely hacking it and not caring that much, but at the end she told me I already had the job. They didn't know at that point whether or not I would be working in Barcelona or England, so the details are a bit hazy. If I work in England, apparantly it'll be two programs (@ Oxford and Cambridge University respectively) consecutively. I think I'd rather work in Barcelona, just because at this point I've grown really attached to Spain, even though it would be less money and a shorter time span. If I end up in England though I wont compain much.
Basically, my job will consist of being a mentor type to the kids, giving them advice and helping them adjust to a new and unfamiliar culture. There are lots of activities every night that I am to help create, modify, organize, and run. I'm kinda interested to see how that goes. I'm also supposed to lay down the law as necessary, but I was told they aren't trying to create a "police state atmosphere," so despite the program's "no tolerance policy" on drugs and alcohol, I'm assuming there is a lot of gray area when it comes to dealing with kids that will come home after a night of indulging in the benefits of a culture whose attitude is a bit more lenient towards the topic of consumption than the one they are used to. Of course, I'll know about all of this once I get there and go through orientation and talk to staff and all that, blah blah blah.
So Matt finally finished with his exams and has been liberated from the shackles of acedemia. That means I have a lot more to do during the day. Tuesday night Pub Golf was supposed to be going on, yet didn't because people ended up just wanting to save money instead of hitting up 9 different pubs. The result was finding 3 or 4 relatively budget places to drink, and staying at each for long enough to get the Job done. I didn't take part in any of it really since I seemed to have contracted some sort of stomach bug. I joined everyone for a little while to hang out, but wasn't able to imbibe quite like the others. I did manage to learn a small handful of (interesting) British Drinking Games which will be fun to bring back to the States, but for the most part the night seemed to be one huge absurdity. I'm sad I had to miss out on it.
Last night we barbecued at Butcher and Sam's place. This was a great deal of fun for me just because it was the first English barbecue I had been to (not to mention the first of any kind of barbecue since last summer). Basically it was a hell of a lot like an American barbecue with the same delicious results one comes to expect from such an affair. Ironically, this happened to be the most excessive, gluttonous barbecue I've ever been to. Despite the fact that there wasn't over 10 people present, we were grilling for over 3 hours straight. I have no idea where all the food came from, but there seemed to be no end to it. In any case, I had a great time and was finally able to sit back and relax without the responsibility of having to find a job or make the decision to find my way back home hanging over my head.
Tonight there is a house party at Gruber's we are charged with attending, and tomorrow Gemma is having a BBQ at her place. It seems to be a general time for summer celebration as college is out until October and everybody is enjoying the incredible weather that has become all-pervasive as of this week. It's actually starting to feel like summer here. Incredible!
I'm sad I'm missing the Zappa concert I wanted to attend, but oh well. Maybe if it goes well enough they'll do another one next year. I'm also sad I don't get to see Bill before he heads off to NH, but I will make it a point to catch up with him before he's off to Cali. It's interesting - albeit not exactly surprising - how life continues to go on seamlessly in my abscence. It can be tough to keep up with everyone all the time but I've been trying the best I can. The internets make this much easier on the whole.
So now I'm just loafing around, waiting to find out where I'm working for July, and generally just trying to enjoy some summer break whilst keeping costs relatively low. I keep forgetting to bring my camera out, but I will try to remember for tonight. I'm interested to see what a British House Party is going to look like, and am already figuring it's going to be worth having some pictures of. These people are insane.
I've decided to keep the blog up for as long as I see fit. If I figure it's getting ridiculously monotonous or a waste of time I can always take it down. I do need a new name however, since I'm no longer in Spain.
Any suggestions?
Monday, June 05, 2006
Insomnia Post
Regardless of the fact that I didn't get much more than 4 hours of sleep last night, I'm not feeling particulary tired at 3:30 in the morning so I decided to throw up (hehe) a post giving everyone a general idea of where I'm at.
My search for employment in Southampton has thus far been mostly a fruitless endeavor. There is still a few possibilities, although they hardly seem worth waiting around an additional 2 or so weeks to follow up on. This exchange rate is like a hard knee in the crotch of my already castrated bank account. I need some goddamned employment. Gonna go have one more chat with the assistant manager at the Jazz Club I applied to earlier, and pops has a friend who lives around here that is looking into finding me some sort of sketchy under the table work, but I can't say I'm holding out very much for either. I did get an email from the Barcelona RA job I applied for months ago, and they have an opening now, so I set up a phone interview (which should be occuring tomorrow), although -once again- I'm not so sure I want to sit around on my ass for another 2 weeks waiting on a maybe. They did say they have several people to interview, so I have no idea what my chances are looking like as several could mean 3 or 13. I'd also need to wrangle two letters of recommendation out of former employers, which would not be an easy task considering my last two bosses' respective daily workloads. Still, I'll give it the old college try and see if anything comes of it. I'm just about ready to book my flight home, though, so I can see friends, family, and the Zappa concert (!!!) which I have a ticket being held for me for by Greggy (of Spring Break fame).
I've been in email contact with a handful of friends that have been wondering where the hell I've been, so it's helped to remind me (along with regular email and online coversations with family) that I do in fact have a life back in Massachusetts and it's looking pretty attractive right now after sitting on my ass for two weeks, unemployed. Bill is moved off to NH and will soon be gone to LA, and is throwing a party Wednesday at the Pour House (site of my 21st birthday extravaganza, as well as countless other less-eventful yet more toothful nights), which I would like to be there for. One more reason to be home.
That's not to say I haven't liked being here. Matt's been busy with studying for his exams pretty much constantly since I've arrived, but his willingness to let me stay in his house has been awesome. Plus I've been hanging out with his friends whom have made me feel really welcome and have given me something to do when not job hunting and not sitting on my ass all day. Despite earnest attempts to nourish myself adequetly, the inherent terribility of British food has still seemed to have its sleazy way with my GI tract.
So England has been my sort of buffer zone for cultural transition back to the United States. Along with a very noticeably sharp decrease in the general attractiveness of the overall population, I have also begun to be re-introduced to bits and pieces of "modern Americana" and other rather un-Spanish behaviors that us English speaking folk take so warmly to. Examples include an over abundance of ready-made food (not to mention a ridiculously wide array of junk-food), young people getting bombed out of their minds in bars (as opposed to in the street, or just not getting all that bombed at all), and way too many dick and fart jokes. I already miss the warmth and general goofy emphatic attitude Spaniards have towards absolutely everything. It's all Cold Fish Salad and Get the Hell Out of my Business here in the UK (I know this won't be quite so bad back in the States). Gone are my days of huge lunches, sensible dinners, lenient (if not non-existent) deadlines, and starting the night around midnight, rather than thinking about having to go home not long after it hits. Also I miss eating and drinking on the cheap. Even after considering exchange rates and all that crap, food and alcohol just straight up cost a lot more here than they did in Alicante. In the street markets you could get 2 kilos of oranges for a euro, but here it averages closer to 2.50 pounds for one kilo. We won't bother getting into alcohol, but even after the dizzying number of drink specials everywhere you go, I'm still a lot lighter in the wallet than a typical night out in the 'Cant. Oh well. That's what I get for choosing to study in the number one budget tourist town in Spain. I can't say any of this is really setting in huge culture shock at this point, but it is making me realize how attatched I was becoming to the Mediterranian lifestyle. I'm certainly not looking forward to my arrival back into American culture, but I'm not quite dreading it either at this point.
Aright. It's getting awfully late and even though I'm still not so tired, I really should be getting some sleep since tomorrow will be sufficiently ridiculous. Matt is finished with his final exam at 4:30 and expects me to be waiting for him at the pub. Apparantly it's going to be a huge game of Pub Golf with most of the people in his Physics class. I would explain the activity now as it has been conveyed to me by Matt, but I'm sure after the combination of personal experience and good ol' fasioned head-shaking hindsight, I will be able to do the sport/art much more justice in my next post than is currently possible. Needless to say, I'm expecting an extremely long night ahead of me.
Pray for my liver, folks, these limeys sure know how to put them down.
My search for employment in Southampton has thus far been mostly a fruitless endeavor. There is still a few possibilities, although they hardly seem worth waiting around an additional 2 or so weeks to follow up on. This exchange rate is like a hard knee in the crotch of my already castrated bank account. I need some goddamned employment. Gonna go have one more chat with the assistant manager at the Jazz Club I applied to earlier, and pops has a friend who lives around here that is looking into finding me some sort of sketchy under the table work, but I can't say I'm holding out very much for either. I did get an email from the Barcelona RA job I applied for months ago, and they have an opening now, so I set up a phone interview (which should be occuring tomorrow), although -once again- I'm not so sure I want to sit around on my ass for another 2 weeks waiting on a maybe. They did say they have several people to interview, so I have no idea what my chances are looking like as several could mean 3 or 13. I'd also need to wrangle two letters of recommendation out of former employers, which would not be an easy task considering my last two bosses' respective daily workloads. Still, I'll give it the old college try and see if anything comes of it. I'm just about ready to book my flight home, though, so I can see friends, family, and the Zappa concert (!!!) which I have a ticket being held for me for by Greggy (of Spring Break fame).
I've been in email contact with a handful of friends that have been wondering where the hell I've been, so it's helped to remind me (along with regular email and online coversations with family) that I do in fact have a life back in Massachusetts and it's looking pretty attractive right now after sitting on my ass for two weeks, unemployed. Bill is moved off to NH and will soon be gone to LA, and is throwing a party Wednesday at the Pour House (site of my 21st birthday extravaganza, as well as countless other less-eventful yet more toothful nights), which I would like to be there for. One more reason to be home.
That's not to say I haven't liked being here. Matt's been busy with studying for his exams pretty much constantly since I've arrived, but his willingness to let me stay in his house has been awesome. Plus I've been hanging out with his friends whom have made me feel really welcome and have given me something to do when not job hunting and not sitting on my ass all day. Despite earnest attempts to nourish myself adequetly, the inherent terribility of British food has still seemed to have its sleazy way with my GI tract.
So England has been my sort of buffer zone for cultural transition back to the United States. Along with a very noticeably sharp decrease in the general attractiveness of the overall population, I have also begun to be re-introduced to bits and pieces of "modern Americana" and other rather un-Spanish behaviors that us English speaking folk take so warmly to. Examples include an over abundance of ready-made food (not to mention a ridiculously wide array of junk-food), young people getting bombed out of their minds in bars (as opposed to in the street, or just not getting all that bombed at all), and way too many dick and fart jokes. I already miss the warmth and general goofy emphatic attitude Spaniards have towards absolutely everything. It's all Cold Fish Salad and Get the Hell Out of my Business here in the UK (I know this won't be quite so bad back in the States). Gone are my days of huge lunches, sensible dinners, lenient (if not non-existent) deadlines, and starting the night around midnight, rather than thinking about having to go home not long after it hits. Also I miss eating and drinking on the cheap. Even after considering exchange rates and all that crap, food and alcohol just straight up cost a lot more here than they did in Alicante. In the street markets you could get 2 kilos of oranges for a euro, but here it averages closer to 2.50 pounds for one kilo. We won't bother getting into alcohol, but even after the dizzying number of drink specials everywhere you go, I'm still a lot lighter in the wallet than a typical night out in the 'Cant. Oh well. That's what I get for choosing to study in the number one budget tourist town in Spain. I can't say any of this is really setting in huge culture shock at this point, but it is making me realize how attatched I was becoming to the Mediterranian lifestyle. I'm certainly not looking forward to my arrival back into American culture, but I'm not quite dreading it either at this point.
Aright. It's getting awfully late and even though I'm still not so tired, I really should be getting some sleep since tomorrow will be sufficiently ridiculous. Matt is finished with his final exam at 4:30 and expects me to be waiting for him at the pub. Apparantly it's going to be a huge game of Pub Golf with most of the people in his Physics class. I would explain the activity now as it has been conveyed to me by Matt, but I'm sure after the combination of personal experience and good ol' fasioned head-shaking hindsight, I will be able to do the sport/art much more justice in my next post than is currently possible. Needless to say, I'm expecting an extremely long night ahead of me.
Pray for my liver, folks, these limeys sure know how to put them down.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
The End of my Journey
Well, that's it. I'm out of Spain. In England now, chillin' at Matt's place indefinitely. Hopefully I will find a job this week, but if not, it's looking like I'll be heading back soon enough.
I'll recount the last parts of my program and throw in some reflection for good measure, along with what I've been doing in the meantime.
So we had a big dinner at this so-so restaurant put on by our program. With over 115 people crowding this place up, things were a bit messy, but I still can't scoff at a free meal. Sitting there looking around I realized how little I'm going to miss those people. There's maybe a dozen or so I'm going to want to keep in touch with, and maybe a smaller group still that I really want to try to see more of in the future, but I really found most of the kids in the program to be just that... kids. There was this lame frat-house mentality that seemed to pervade our group, and it really pissed me off. I feel like under other circumstances, people wouldn't have acted so lame on my trip, but when they all got together and went out it was unbearable sometimes.
But I digress.
I spent my last few nights out just enjoying the company of friends. Went to Iman's (Eric and my's Uruguayin bar owner friend) a couple nights and we ended up staying up til 5 drinking with him and his wife after they closed. They are really nice people, regardless of their serial alcoholism (is there any other kind?). They sure are generous with the food and drink, though. Also, a lot of my conversational Spanish skills came from talking with them. We had a lot of fun nights there, and it was good to be able to say goodbye properly.
Nicole showed up on Friday and we bummed around Alicante for the day not doing a hell of a lot. I went out for a little while and said bye to a few more people who were still around, but kept it low-key. The next morning we headed off to Granada on a way-too-long bus ride. I suppose it's not particularly tasteful to mention this, but the bus smelled like menstrual blood (I know I know ewwww, gross) and it was absolutely impossible to get used to. Every noseful was like... well yeah, you get the idea. The bus' septic tank needed to be emptied. If you think that was gross to read about, imagine living it for 7 hours straight.
The hostelwas impossble to find but was really beautiful once we did. It was in this old building and was kind of open-air, so despite the warm temperatures it was always nice and breezy. I really loved Granada. It was probably the most beautiful city I've seen in Spain. The Arab Quarter had a very cool vibe to it, and the gypsies were really friendly and actually worked for their money, unlike in Alicante where they sit on their asses and drink, sometimes asking (or threatening) you for a euro. Everywhere we went there was always music in the street or some kind of performance going on. It was just a very artistic city and had such a chill feel to it. It was quintessentially Spanish. Also, unlike Alicante, it was much more diverse ethnically which was definitely a fresh change from the somewhat homogenized atmosphere of Alicante. There was also an assload of tourists, but they didn't seem to detract from the overall vibe like they usually seem to.
We hit up the Alhambra the second day, having to wake up way-early so we could get in line to wait for tickets since we didn't book ahead of time (something I recommend you do if planning on going to Granada, which you should). Before coming everybody and their mother that has ever been to Granada told me I must go to the Alhambra because it was so incredible and beautiful and wonderful, etc. etc. etc. I can honestly say they were completely right. It is easily the single most breathtakingly beautiful tourist attraction I've ever seen (not that I've been that many places).
Originally it was built in the 13th and 14th centuries when Spain was under Arab rule, but was modified in parts after the Christian Reconquista in 1492. It's a huge palace that sits above the city, giving you an incredible view. The carvings on the walls and ceilings were so detailed, and basically the entire place was constant eye-candy that I was never able to get used to looking at. It definitely helped that we were there on a gorgeous day but I've heard it's even more beautiful if you go in at night since everything is lit up all dramatically. It also happened to be a cat sanctuary, which of course made me happy.
After that we just continued to walk around, checking out the Arab Quarter and just enjoyed the day in general. We also went to a kebab place that had the best kebab I've ever had in my life. Nicole definitely knew what she was talking about when she brought us there. I ate one each day we were there, but kind of wish I got another one.
Another good thing about Granada was how cheap it was. The whole buy a beer, get a tapa (or vice versa, depending on how you look at it) thing was incredible. For €1.20 you get a beer and a small plate of food, incredible. These weren't little wussy tapas either, you spend 2 and a half euros and you're pretty much fed for the night, not to mention two drinks deep already. Excellent deal. Most places we checked out had delicious tapas too, so it's not like just getting a little dish of peanuts when you get a drink.
So after Granada we went back to Alicante so I could pick up all of my crap and say goodbye to my host family. I'll definitely be missing them, as they were so good to me. Besides feeding me, doing my laundry, and making my bed every day, they were also very nice, very cool people. They helped to make my time in Spain a truly enjoyable and comfortable one. So after one last tasty paella, we hopped on a train for Barcelona.
We got in at night, so all we did was get some food and watch a movie at Nicole's place. Nicole lives with this 30 something year old, awkward, neurotic, Catalan pride filled dude named Dani (who also happens to have an asian culture fetish). He seemed nice enough, anyway. Dani has an awesome psychopathic cat named Sushi that I happened to be extremely allergic too (moreso than most cats it seems). I had a lot of fun playing with it since it had so much energy and could jump extremely high.
Anyway, we walked around Barcelona the next day and enjoyed another beautiful day. I got to see the big palace and where they had the 1992 olympic games. We checked out a Dali gallery which was filled with some of his earlier stuff and a bunch of his sculptures. Most of it was pretty twisted, in traditional Dali fashion. The rest of the day was just walking around and sitting around in parks, relaxing. That night we ate at an incredible Indian/Thai/Whatever fusion place and I had an incredible lamb meal with mashed sweet potatoes. This was the first somewhat fancy type meal I've had in a long time and it was so good it was ridiculous. It also wasn't very expensive either, which was sort of surprising. Afterwards, we went to an absinthe bar and sucked a couple of those back before deciding to head home.
The next day I got up and got the hell out, having to lug an assload of heavy luggage to England. I ended up having to pay almost double what I paid for my ticket because my luggage was overweight. It was actually 19kg overweight, but they only charged me for 10kg (€75!), and ignored the fact that I had one too many carry-ons. I guess you could call me lucky, but I'd rather you call EasyJet and tell them to eat bleach.
So I've been in England since Thursday, seeking employment, illegally. I think the guy at passport control knew what I was up to cause he was giving the the 8th degree or whatever. He was asking all sorts of questions like how much money I have access to and when I was planning on leaving (not once, like 3 times. he wouldn't stop asking until i practically told him what time my plane was departing). It just annoyed me because he was laughing and joking around with the New Zealand couple that went through before me. I guess he had a right to be suspicious (hehe), but it sucks to feel so scrutinized. I don't even want their crappy free healthcare!
So I found a few places that looked like they might not care that I don't have a visa, but I need to stick around at least an extra week to hear from them and interview, so i cancelled my plane ticket today and haven't re-booked yet. I figure by the end of the week I'll have a much better idea of my options, and if things look grim, I'll get a plane back ASAP and start working at $tarbuxxx.
I'm definitely feeling a little torn because I really would like to stay here and work for the summer, but I'm also missing friends, family, and home in general. I feel like if I have the opportunity to be abroad for even longer, then it's ridiculous not to take advantage, which is why I'm so bent on trying to find work here for the summer. I could easily loaf around Matt's place for 3 months, but I do need to save up some money, especially after spending almost everything I own these past five months. I am set to graduate in December and it will help to have some sort of nest egg waiting for me. The plus of being here is that I have a free place to stay and will make a killing with the exchange rate. As I'm writing this, £1 is equal to $1.88. If the dollar keeps dropping, it'll be double to the pound in no time. So even if I can manage £6/hour that's like getting paid $12 an hour back in the States! That's better than I'd be doing at Starbucks. Plus, England is beautiful in the summer. Generally the stereotypical grayness subsides and it's mild and sunny here, which will be better than a hot humid summer in Boston. The other benefit is that I would be able to take up an interview with the BBC and see what they might be able to tell me about future employment. I might even wander into their offices this week just to see if they have any information about what I could do to move in the direction of being working for them.
So yeah. Reflections on my progam. Uhhhh. It was a good program, I suppose. The ten page papers we got assigned at the end of it were definitely ludicrous. I gained very little from having to spend that much time filling up all that space. Ummm. I got to try a lot of new, delicious food. Ooooh, I know. I can look back at my original goals that I set when I started this blog and see how I did with all of them. Let's take a look...
Learn Spanish Fluently - HA! My ass! I'd like to see any of you learn a language fluently in 5 months. Seriously though, fluency does not come as quickly or easily as I assumed it did. That's not to say my Spanish didn't come a long long way, I just can't converse anything like I was expecting. I think I was just beginning to think in Spanish a bit as the program was coming to end, which is a shame, cause another 6 or so months and I'd be talking Spanish like Pauly Shore talks nonsense (it's a good analogy). I did start to have a couple dreams a week in Spanish which was promising. I am taking one class taught in Spanish in the Fall, so hopefully I will still be sharp enough to follow along.
Get Humbled - Nope, can't say that really happened. I didn't "realize the error of my ways" or feel like my eyes have been opened to a whole new and/or better way of life. I can't really say I was a closed-minded person to begin with, so while I learned a lot, appreciated and loved everything I experienced abroad, I can't say I felt "put in my place." Spain is a lot like the U.S. in a lot of ways, and also very different. Some stuff is better, some stuff is worse. And then there is a lot of gray area that depends on your personal tastes. Maybe if I want to be truly humbled, I need to visit some less stable locations. Next year in Bosnia?
Meet assloads of people from all over the world - Well I wouldn't call it assloads, but I definitely did meet a whole bunch of people from all around Europe. The University of Alicante did host a good deal of international students and it was fun to go out with people from all over the place. It's too bad I didn't start doing so a lot until towards the end of the program, but I can't really complain.
Learn to dance - Well I didn't learn Flamenco or anything like that, but I went out and danced a lot anyway, so I'd say all the practice definitely made me a better dancer. I don't feel quite like a one-legged chicken anymore when I'm in clubs.
And then there was the anti-goals. Things I was trying to avoid.
Starting a smoking habit - Nope, still not a smoker. I had a cigarette here and there when I was out, but no more than I normally would anyway. I don't think I'm cut out for a serious cigarette habit, which suits me fine.
Partying excessively - Well, I didn't exactly abstain from alcohol, but I wasn't an alcoholic either. We did have good handful of those on our program. I didn't let going out affect my schoolwork, so I'd say this anti-goal was a success as well. I didn't have any nights where I can't remember what I did, and I also didn't do anything I regretted whilst drunk, so I think I attained a serendipitous level of moderation.
So while I didn't achieve all of my goals to their fullest respective extents, I also didn't develop any vices. I think it's that my experience in Spain turned out to be a lot different than I expected it to be. The program itself was structured so that we more or less had our hands held the entire time, which could be extremely annoying. Take the Erasmus programs (for Europeans), for example. Students are given a monthly stipend (rather than paying to come abroad, they are paid instead) and given a pat on the butt in the direction of the country they want to study in. They need to find their own apartment and work out just about everything else for themselves. We started with 2 nights in a hotel with an intensive orientation session that lasted the entire week. They made sure to keep us close and only exposed to other Americans. We then were introduced, one by one, to our host families who took us in and made sure we could wipe our own asses with the new, unfamiliar, Spanish toilet paper. While it was nice to be cared for, it made me feel like a child. The entire program we were always kept close to the other Americans (we were in classes only with other Americans) and while there was opportunity for exploration, it wasn't exactly encouraged. I still managed to have a great time with it, and I think I gained a lot from the program, but at times I just wish it wasn't so tightly closed in.
So my overall impression was positive, despite those small details. I'm not exactly sure why, but I have a weird feeling this program would have been even better for me a year ago, moreso in the middle of my college career, rather than so near the end of it. Don't ask me why, I just sorta feel that. On the whole, I still wish I was able to go abroad in Latin America rather than Europe, but my language skills definitely weren't where they needed to be at the time. If I had more time I would maybe try to go down to Argentina or Chile, but it's obviously not possible at this point.
So for now my job hunt will continue here in England. I'm going to allot myself about another week, and if things aren't going well, I'll be trying to make my way back to the US on the earliest flight I can catch. Matt has been really cool to let me stay here with him, and has been as helpful as he possibly can in helping me find a job, so I owe him a lot at this point.
As for whether or not I will continue this blog, I'm putting some thought into it. I almost feel like my life isn't generally interesting enough to warrant recording it, but it might be therapeutic to get my thoughts down in words from time to time. Maybe I can practice my journalistic craft and talk about other things not necessarily related to my personal life. I'm not gonna go all political blog on you, but I might be able to comment on current events and how I feel they affect me/us or whatever. I'd hate to become one of those self-righteous blogging know-it-all types (rather than the regular self-righteous know-it-all type that I usually am), but I can try to avoid that, I suppose. It's also an easy way to keep people updated on my life without having to send out mass-emails, which I've never actually done. Well, I'll figure all this out soon enough. For now, dinner.
Thanks for reading!
I'll recount the last parts of my program and throw in some reflection for good measure, along with what I've been doing in the meantime.
So we had a big dinner at this so-so restaurant put on by our program. With over 115 people crowding this place up, things were a bit messy, but I still can't scoff at a free meal. Sitting there looking around I realized how little I'm going to miss those people. There's maybe a dozen or so I'm going to want to keep in touch with, and maybe a smaller group still that I really want to try to see more of in the future, but I really found most of the kids in the program to be just that... kids. There was this lame frat-house mentality that seemed to pervade our group, and it really pissed me off. I feel like under other circumstances, people wouldn't have acted so lame on my trip, but when they all got together and went out it was unbearable sometimes.
But I digress.
I spent my last few nights out just enjoying the company of friends. Went to Iman's (Eric and my's Uruguayin bar owner friend) a couple nights and we ended up staying up til 5 drinking with him and his wife after they closed. They are really nice people, regardless of their serial alcoholism (is there any other kind?). They sure are generous with the food and drink, though. Also, a lot of my conversational Spanish skills came from talking with them. We had a lot of fun nights there, and it was good to be able to say goodbye properly.
Nicole showed up on Friday and we bummed around Alicante for the day not doing a hell of a lot. I went out for a little while and said bye to a few more people who were still around, but kept it low-key. The next morning we headed off to Granada on a way-too-long bus ride. I suppose it's not particularly tasteful to mention this, but the bus smelled like menstrual blood (I know I know ewwww, gross) and it was absolutely impossible to get used to. Every noseful was like... well yeah, you get the idea. The bus' septic tank needed to be emptied. If you think that was gross to read about, imagine living it for 7 hours straight.
The hostelwas impossble to find but was really beautiful once we did. It was in this old building and was kind of open-air, so despite the warm temperatures it was always nice and breezy. I really loved Granada. It was probably the most beautiful city I've seen in Spain. The Arab Quarter had a very cool vibe to it, and the gypsies were really friendly and actually worked for their money, unlike in Alicante where they sit on their asses and drink, sometimes asking (or threatening) you for a euro. Everywhere we went there was always music in the street or some kind of performance going on. It was just a very artistic city and had such a chill feel to it. It was quintessentially Spanish. Also, unlike Alicante, it was much more diverse ethnically which was definitely a fresh change from the somewhat homogenized atmosphere of Alicante. There was also an assload of tourists, but they didn't seem to detract from the overall vibe like they usually seem to.
We hit up the Alhambra the second day, having to wake up way-early so we could get in line to wait for tickets since we didn't book ahead of time (something I recommend you do if planning on going to Granada, which you should). Before coming everybody and their mother that has ever been to Granada told me I must go to the Alhambra because it was so incredible and beautiful and wonderful, etc. etc. etc. I can honestly say they were completely right. It is easily the single most breathtakingly beautiful tourist attraction I've ever seen (not that I've been that many places).
Originally it was built in the 13th and 14th centuries when Spain was under Arab rule, but was modified in parts after the Christian Reconquista in 1492. It's a huge palace that sits above the city, giving you an incredible view. The carvings on the walls and ceilings were so detailed, and basically the entire place was constant eye-candy that I was never able to get used to looking at. It definitely helped that we were there on a gorgeous day but I've heard it's even more beautiful if you go in at night since everything is lit up all dramatically. It also happened to be a cat sanctuary, which of course made me happy.
After that we just continued to walk around, checking out the Arab Quarter and just enjoyed the day in general. We also went to a kebab place that had the best kebab I've ever had in my life. Nicole definitely knew what she was talking about when she brought us there. I ate one each day we were there, but kind of wish I got another one.
Another good thing about Granada was how cheap it was. The whole buy a beer, get a tapa (or vice versa, depending on how you look at it) thing was incredible. For €1.20 you get a beer and a small plate of food, incredible. These weren't little wussy tapas either, you spend 2 and a half euros and you're pretty much fed for the night, not to mention two drinks deep already. Excellent deal. Most places we checked out had delicious tapas too, so it's not like just getting a little dish of peanuts when you get a drink.
So after Granada we went back to Alicante so I could pick up all of my crap and say goodbye to my host family. I'll definitely be missing them, as they were so good to me. Besides feeding me, doing my laundry, and making my bed every day, they were also very nice, very cool people. They helped to make my time in Spain a truly enjoyable and comfortable one. So after one last tasty paella, we hopped on a train for Barcelona.
We got in at night, so all we did was get some food and watch a movie at Nicole's place. Nicole lives with this 30 something year old, awkward, neurotic, Catalan pride filled dude named Dani (who also happens to have an asian culture fetish). He seemed nice enough, anyway. Dani has an awesome psychopathic cat named Sushi that I happened to be extremely allergic too (moreso than most cats it seems). I had a lot of fun playing with it since it had so much energy and could jump extremely high.
Anyway, we walked around Barcelona the next day and enjoyed another beautiful day. I got to see the big palace and where they had the 1992 olympic games. We checked out a Dali gallery which was filled with some of his earlier stuff and a bunch of his sculptures. Most of it was pretty twisted, in traditional Dali fashion. The rest of the day was just walking around and sitting around in parks, relaxing. That night we ate at an incredible Indian/Thai/Whatever fusion place and I had an incredible lamb meal with mashed sweet potatoes. This was the first somewhat fancy type meal I've had in a long time and it was so good it was ridiculous. It also wasn't very expensive either, which was sort of surprising. Afterwards, we went to an absinthe bar and sucked a couple of those back before deciding to head home.
The next day I got up and got the hell out, having to lug an assload of heavy luggage to England. I ended up having to pay almost double what I paid for my ticket because my luggage was overweight. It was actually 19kg overweight, but they only charged me for 10kg (€75!), and ignored the fact that I had one too many carry-ons. I guess you could call me lucky, but I'd rather you call EasyJet and tell them to eat bleach.
So I've been in England since Thursday, seeking employment, illegally. I think the guy at passport control knew what I was up to cause he was giving the the 8th degree or whatever. He was asking all sorts of questions like how much money I have access to and when I was planning on leaving (not once, like 3 times. he wouldn't stop asking until i practically told him what time my plane was departing). It just annoyed me because he was laughing and joking around with the New Zealand couple that went through before me. I guess he had a right to be suspicious (hehe), but it sucks to feel so scrutinized. I don't even want their crappy free healthcare!
So I found a few places that looked like they might not care that I don't have a visa, but I need to stick around at least an extra week to hear from them and interview, so i cancelled my plane ticket today and haven't re-booked yet. I figure by the end of the week I'll have a much better idea of my options, and if things look grim, I'll get a plane back ASAP and start working at $tarbuxxx.
I'm definitely feeling a little torn because I really would like to stay here and work for the summer, but I'm also missing friends, family, and home in general. I feel like if I have the opportunity to be abroad for even longer, then it's ridiculous not to take advantage, which is why I'm so bent on trying to find work here for the summer. I could easily loaf around Matt's place for 3 months, but I do need to save up some money, especially after spending almost everything I own these past five months. I am set to graduate in December and it will help to have some sort of nest egg waiting for me. The plus of being here is that I have a free place to stay and will make a killing with the exchange rate. As I'm writing this, £1 is equal to $1.88. If the dollar keeps dropping, it'll be double to the pound in no time. So even if I can manage £6/hour that's like getting paid $12 an hour back in the States! That's better than I'd be doing at Starbucks. Plus, England is beautiful in the summer. Generally the stereotypical grayness subsides and it's mild and sunny here, which will be better than a hot humid summer in Boston. The other benefit is that I would be able to take up an interview with the BBC and see what they might be able to tell me about future employment. I might even wander into their offices this week just to see if they have any information about what I could do to move in the direction of being working for them.
So yeah. Reflections on my progam. Uhhhh. It was a good program, I suppose. The ten page papers we got assigned at the end of it were definitely ludicrous. I gained very little from having to spend that much time filling up all that space. Ummm. I got to try a lot of new, delicious food. Ooooh, I know. I can look back at my original goals that I set when I started this blog and see how I did with all of them. Let's take a look...
Learn Spanish Fluently - HA! My ass! I'd like to see any of you learn a language fluently in 5 months. Seriously though, fluency does not come as quickly or easily as I assumed it did. That's not to say my Spanish didn't come a long long way, I just can't converse anything like I was expecting. I think I was just beginning to think in Spanish a bit as the program was coming to end, which is a shame, cause another 6 or so months and I'd be talking Spanish like Pauly Shore talks nonsense (it's a good analogy). I did start to have a couple dreams a week in Spanish which was promising. I am taking one class taught in Spanish in the Fall, so hopefully I will still be sharp enough to follow along.
Get Humbled - Nope, can't say that really happened. I didn't "realize the error of my ways" or feel like my eyes have been opened to a whole new and/or better way of life. I can't really say I was a closed-minded person to begin with, so while I learned a lot, appreciated and loved everything I experienced abroad, I can't say I felt "put in my place." Spain is a lot like the U.S. in a lot of ways, and also very different. Some stuff is better, some stuff is worse. And then there is a lot of gray area that depends on your personal tastes. Maybe if I want to be truly humbled, I need to visit some less stable locations. Next year in Bosnia?
Meet assloads of people from all over the world - Well I wouldn't call it assloads, but I definitely did meet a whole bunch of people from all around Europe. The University of Alicante did host a good deal of international students and it was fun to go out with people from all over the place. It's too bad I didn't start doing so a lot until towards the end of the program, but I can't really complain.
Learn to dance - Well I didn't learn Flamenco or anything like that, but I went out and danced a lot anyway, so I'd say all the practice definitely made me a better dancer. I don't feel quite like a one-legged chicken anymore when I'm in clubs.
And then there was the anti-goals. Things I was trying to avoid.
Starting a smoking habit - Nope, still not a smoker. I had a cigarette here and there when I was out, but no more than I normally would anyway. I don't think I'm cut out for a serious cigarette habit, which suits me fine.
Partying excessively - Well, I didn't exactly abstain from alcohol, but I wasn't an alcoholic either. We did have good handful of those on our program. I didn't let going out affect my schoolwork, so I'd say this anti-goal was a success as well. I didn't have any nights where I can't remember what I did, and I also didn't do anything I regretted whilst drunk, so I think I attained a serendipitous level of moderation.
So while I didn't achieve all of my goals to their fullest respective extents, I also didn't develop any vices. I think it's that my experience in Spain turned out to be a lot different than I expected it to be. The program itself was structured so that we more or less had our hands held the entire time, which could be extremely annoying. Take the Erasmus programs (for Europeans), for example. Students are given a monthly stipend (rather than paying to come abroad, they are paid instead) and given a pat on the butt in the direction of the country they want to study in. They need to find their own apartment and work out just about everything else for themselves. We started with 2 nights in a hotel with an intensive orientation session that lasted the entire week. They made sure to keep us close and only exposed to other Americans. We then were introduced, one by one, to our host families who took us in and made sure we could wipe our own asses with the new, unfamiliar, Spanish toilet paper. While it was nice to be cared for, it made me feel like a child. The entire program we were always kept close to the other Americans (we were in classes only with other Americans) and while there was opportunity for exploration, it wasn't exactly encouraged. I still managed to have a great time with it, and I think I gained a lot from the program, but at times I just wish it wasn't so tightly closed in.
So my overall impression was positive, despite those small details. I'm not exactly sure why, but I have a weird feeling this program would have been even better for me a year ago, moreso in the middle of my college career, rather than so near the end of it. Don't ask me why, I just sorta feel that. On the whole, I still wish I was able to go abroad in Latin America rather than Europe, but my language skills definitely weren't where they needed to be at the time. If I had more time I would maybe try to go down to Argentina or Chile, but it's obviously not possible at this point.
So for now my job hunt will continue here in England. I'm going to allot myself about another week, and if things aren't going well, I'll be trying to make my way back to the US on the earliest flight I can catch. Matt has been really cool to let me stay here with him, and has been as helpful as he possibly can in helping me find a job, so I owe him a lot at this point.
As for whether or not I will continue this blog, I'm putting some thought into it. I almost feel like my life isn't generally interesting enough to warrant recording it, but it might be therapeutic to get my thoughts down in words from time to time. Maybe I can practice my journalistic craft and talk about other things not necessarily related to my personal life. I'm not gonna go all political blog on you, but I might be able to comment on current events and how I feel they affect me/us or whatever. I'd hate to become one of those self-righteous blogging know-it-all types (rather than the regular self-righteous know-it-all type that I usually am), but I can try to avoid that, I suppose. It's also an easy way to keep people updated on my life without having to send out mass-emails, which I've never actually done. Well, I'll figure all this out soon enough. For now, dinner.
Thanks for reading!
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