Since I have been in Spain major political demonstrations have occurred in both Spain (the entire country went on strike for 1 day) and in France (this protest lasted over the course of several days and required governmental military intervention). The cause for both of these protests was ultimately, the dire economic situations both countries are facing and their expectation that their governments act in their best interest (budget issues, specifically pension ages). I am very impressed and admire very much the political discussion that occurs in both of these European countries. The people here have expectations from their government (that they meet their basic needs, which does in fact include health care) and in turn it is the expectation that people be civilly involved. When the government acts in the interest of themselves or large corporations - the people respond. From what I have observed, complacency does not exist here.
Today in Washington D.C. was the "Rally to Restore Sanity", a rally sponsored by Steven Colbert and John Stewart. I generally despise both of these men, as they are both in the business of inaction. Rather than taking action or using their fame or money to actually incite social change, they simply mock it. They invite guests on their show and then make jokes about how silly the democratic and republic parties are (mostly focusing on the republicans) and though politics are the topic of discussion, they don't actually say anything. They don't take stances for or against anything as they are simply too cool. So they've decided that extremists in America (i.e. Glenn Beck) receive too much media attention and so they are having a rally to give voice to everyone else, i guess (the stated intention has been difficult to pinpoint). So instead of bringing people together for a specific given cause, they are coming together to mock people with causes (albeit extreme), i guess? To me, this appears to be nothing more than a media stunt for the two masterminds involved, as there is a "pre-show" and a "show", which include performances by John Legend and Cheryl Crow. How can a civic protest have performances and merchandise (yes, there's merch)? This is baffling to me! Why must civic engagement in the United States be about anything and everything other than social change!! This is an absolute cause for shame and embarrassment. Is this all we think of ourselves and expect from our government? Are we more concerned with purchasing merch and listening to John Legend than demanding necessities from our government? To me this is not a joke and it's not funny; it's just sad.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Spain Chapter 2
I finished my Spanish classes this last Friday at the language institute in O Grove (I got a certificate and everything!). So today Jonathan and I went into Pontevedra, a larger city only 20 miles away, to FINALLY finish all of my immigration stuff, which was a success!! I am officially an immigrant! When we were in Pontevedra a few weeks ago eating at a Turkish restaurant we met this Bangladeshi man who told us that there were free Spanish classes for immigrants through the Red Cross in Pontevedra. So after leaving the police station we headed over the Red Cross to look into it. We met Beta, a lovely social worker, who was so sweet and helpful. There are free Spanish classes for immigrants through the Red Cross two mornings a week and two evenings a week (woo hoo!). She also spoke to us about some more documentation we need to obtain in order to receive health care here and suggested I start Spanish classes Wednesday night so that she can introduce me to everyone (we <3 Beta!). From what I understand the classes are open ended groups where they work on more conversational skills, as opposed to more complicated grammar drills. The classes I was in before were more academic in the study of the language, so I can understand more complicated conjugations and phrases when written, but where I struggle the most is when people are speaking and being able to quickly form phrases and reply. Often when Jonathan and I have dinner or visit with family here, I have trouble participating in group conversations. When I have something I want to say I need to stop and think about how to say it before I begin to speak. If I stop mid phrase repeatedly or stumble, it is harder for people to understand me, on top of my accent. So it is best for me to think about the phrase before beginning to speak. But what often happens is that by the time I finish thinking about how to say something, the moment has passed and the conversation has moved on. Jonathan has joked that I need a little bell to ring when I want the conversation to stop, so that I can take a minute, think, and then interject in the conversation. So I think these classes will be really helpful for me. When people speak I often have to ask them to speak more slowly (all of the family here pretty much doe this automatically for me - they're too good to me). I've also been watching a sultry day time movie every day to work on my verbal comprehension (two I watched last week included affairs with the babysitter and one had David Hasselhoff in it). I have difficulty following more complicated movies in Spanish - I need the plot lines clearly laid out for me. I think it would also be really helpful for Jonathan and I to speak Spanish at home together too, but it just well, sucks. It's super frustrating for both of us. I'm hoping in another month we can begin our little at home immersion or at least start doing it during specific hours each day. But never the less, my Spanish is improving and I'm feeling more comfortable with it. I'm able to get around town and participate in basic conversations with clerks. I have more difficulty speaking in longer phrases, telling stories, or explaining more complicated things. So hopefully these classes in Pontevedra will help me improve my verbal skills. I really enjoyed my classes in O Grove and I'm rather good at grammar stuff, so If I want to sign up for some additional classes there later in the spring or summer, I could do that. I could continue to pay for classes there now, but the school has closed for the winter and I would have to pay for individual classes, which are more expensive (I was also spending about $40/week in bus fare too). So we'll see how things go for now. I am also planning on purchasing some easier narrative books to work on reading comprehension and vocabulary. The BBC website also has a great section for learning foreign languages with some interactive activities to do too.
I have found that I have difficulty being productive without a schedule or routine set up for me When I was going to O Grove for my Spanish classes I was out of the house for 5 hours and found it easier to use my free time after class productively. With my new class schedule I will have more free time and to make sure I remain productive, as opposed to spending long periods of time watching videos on You Tube and Facebook, I intend on forming a little schedule for myself. I intend to exercise, cook lunch, study for MSW licensure exam, study Spanish stuff, read, etc. This should hopefully be easier to adhere to now that beach season is coming to a close.
Other things of note:
I have decided to grow my hair back out. This may end up in my going for 3 months without a haircut, only to just cut it all off because I can't take the awkward lengths anymore, but we'll see.
We have booked out hotel and bus tickets for our little 4 day excursion to Lisbon next month. We have tickets to see Arcade Fire there, so we are going to stay for a couple of days to check out the city. Should be fun - it's our first trip outside of our neighboring towns here thus far.
Jonathan has finished all of his film school applications! Whoo hoo! He has applied to 2 schools in New York (Columbia and NYU) and 4 schools in LA (UCLA, USC, AFI, and Cal Arts). Here's hoping he gets into several of them and we get to make some decisions about where to move. But we're really excited to hear back (should be March or April) and there's something calming about knowing that they're all sent in and it's out of our hands. He has now started working on several writing projects, one of them being a screenplay about the life of John Brown. He also intends on working on a documentary of his family's immigration story, but has not yet started interviewing anyone.
But that's all we've really been up to. I am excited to begin our second little chapter here in Spain, me being done with my classes in O Grove and Jonathan having completed his applications. We are very happy and are absolutely certain at this point, that we will look back at our time together in Spain as an incredibly enriching time in our lives together.
I have found that I have difficulty being productive without a schedule or routine set up for me When I was going to O Grove for my Spanish classes I was out of the house for 5 hours and found it easier to use my free time after class productively. With my new class schedule I will have more free time and to make sure I remain productive, as opposed to spending long periods of time watching videos on You Tube and Facebook, I intend on forming a little schedule for myself. I intend to exercise, cook lunch, study for MSW licensure exam, study Spanish stuff, read, etc. This should hopefully be easier to adhere to now that beach season is coming to a close.
Other things of note:
I have decided to grow my hair back out. This may end up in my going for 3 months without a haircut, only to just cut it all off because I can't take the awkward lengths anymore, but we'll see.
We have booked out hotel and bus tickets for our little 4 day excursion to Lisbon next month. We have tickets to see Arcade Fire there, so we are going to stay for a couple of days to check out the city. Should be fun - it's our first trip outside of our neighboring towns here thus far.
Jonathan has finished all of his film school applications! Whoo hoo! He has applied to 2 schools in New York (Columbia and NYU) and 4 schools in LA (UCLA, USC, AFI, and Cal Arts). Here's hoping he gets into several of them and we get to make some decisions about where to move. But we're really excited to hear back (should be March or April) and there's something calming about knowing that they're all sent in and it's out of our hands. He has now started working on several writing projects, one of them being a screenplay about the life of John Brown. He also intends on working on a documentary of his family's immigration story, but has not yet started interviewing anyone.
But that's all we've really been up to. I am excited to begin our second little chapter here in Spain, me being done with my classes in O Grove and Jonathan having completed his applications. We are very happy and are absolutely certain at this point, that we will look back at our time together in Spain as an incredibly enriching time in our lives together.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Churros!!!
This morning Jonathan and I woke up and made churros together for breakfast! Yippy!!! Churros are Spanish doughnut that are dunked in thick hot chocolate. I fried up the churros and rolled them in cinnamon sugar while Jonathan made the chocolate.
In progress:
The end results!!
In progress:
The end results!!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Around Town
Today was a gloriously sunny day. Jonathan has been feverishly working on his applications for film school all day. So I went for a run, made lunch, read on the balcony, cleaned the apartment, and then decided to take a photographic tour of Raxo. I walked out of apartment, heading right, towards the "mirador" or viewpoint, and then circling back around to our apartment. Here are some photos I took this afternoon. Enjoy!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
School Update
School continues to go well. I continue to seem to get better each day, understanding more and being able to better express myself. My classes are currently scheduled until the end of October, when at that point the language institute will close for the winter. A week or so ago Jonathan and I met this Bangladeshi man who runs a Turkish restaurant the next town over. He told us that his wife took Spanish classes there for free and gave us the school name. Jonathan and I still need to follow up on this as Pontevedra, the next town over is 25 minutes closer than O Grove, where I'm currently taking classes. Also, free is always better than costs money. If it doesn't work out, then I am able to contract my professor for private lessons while the school is closed.
In enrolling in the classes here I had hoped to make a friend or two, but this hasn't really worked out as planned. All of the other students are from different countries in Europe (3 young girls from Germany, one boy from England, a middle aged woman from France, a middle aged woman from Germany, and one elderly Finnish man). All of the students I have met have come and gone in less than a week or two. Apparently it is common for European students to go on "study vacations". So needless to say I've stopped even bothering to introduce myself to new students. The French woman started today - thank goodness. It had been just me and the old Finnish man the last 2 weeks. He is hard of hearing and gets frustrated really easy and gets pouty about halfway through class!
In enrolling in the classes here I had hoped to make a friend or two, but this hasn't really worked out as planned. All of the other students are from different countries in Europe (3 young girls from Germany, one boy from England, a middle aged woman from France, a middle aged woman from Germany, and one elderly Finnish man). All of the students I have met have come and gone in less than a week or two. Apparently it is common for European students to go on "study vacations". So needless to say I've stopped even bothering to introduce myself to new students. The French woman started today - thank goodness. It had been just me and the old Finnish man the last 2 weeks. He is hard of hearing and gets frustrated really easy and gets pouty about halfway through class!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Language
The people (including corporations) that have the most power in society work to maintain that power. Through social control, hierarchy systems are maintained and those without power will remain there. This process exists seemingly invisibly as social control employs third party structures (education, health care, the criminal justice system,etc). The way we interact with one another and these social structures on a daily basis serves to reinforce or change the current system of power. Language is an interesting social structure as ultimately it too is maintained and developed by those in power. There is a "correct" way to speak, which, if you want to succeed in a traditional way you are required to utilize. Different social groups develop their own dialects, which serve to create their own identity, while also separating themselves from those in power and maintaining the power hierarchy. In result, those speaking in dialects other that that considered to be correct are less likely to obtain well paying jobs and less likely to be in positions of power, George Bush aside.
In the United States there is a politics to language. How you say something reflects to others how you feel about it. For example, if I called a black person a 'nigger', on would assume that I had negative feelings about black people. During my MSW program much attention was paid to how to correctly refer to different individuals and populations. For example, a person is not a 'schizophrenic', they are 'a person with schizophrenia' (This is referred to as 'person-first' language. People with schizophrenia are people before they are a diagnosis). The emphasis placed on correctly referring to different populations and individuals served not only to respect those people, but also create social change. By using person first language, I am in fact reinforcing how I wish individuals and populations to be viewed, as people. By using 'schizophrenic", "nigger", etc. I am reinforcing oppression upon those individuals and groups. An interesting socio-linguistic side note here, may oppressed groups have taken the words used by their oppressors, and made them their own. For example, black people began to refer to themselves as niggers, so as to take the sting from the word and he power from their oppressors. The same is true for the Indian Red Power Movement and the GLBTQ's use of the word queer.
The reason for this dissertation: In Spain, the politics of language and discussion of oppressive language does not exist. One is to know what you think or how you feel about something by the tone in which you say it. According to my teacher, the only discussion that has occurred and is occurring is in Feminist Theory. In Spanish nouns are identified as being either masculine or feminine. For example, 'ellos' is a group of males and 'ellas' is a group of girls (translated as the word 'they'). In an attempt to create more gender neutral language, some Spanish speaking individuals may write 'ell@s' or 'ell*s'. Samuel, my teacher, as only encountered this in scholastic type journals or in articles written by some editorialists in newspapers.
Does this make Spain more or less socially conscious of their oppressed groups, I don't know. In some ways, I feel as though this focus on language may be distracting people from the actual problems. Just because an individual is referred to as a person with schizophrenia as opposed to a schizophrenic does not mean that they are any less oppressed or poorly served in this country. Ultimately, I suppose it doesn't matter, so long as oppression is bring identified and fought against.
In the United States there is a politics to language. How you say something reflects to others how you feel about it. For example, if I called a black person a 'nigger', on would assume that I had negative feelings about black people. During my MSW program much attention was paid to how to correctly refer to different individuals and populations. For example, a person is not a 'schizophrenic', they are 'a person with schizophrenia' (This is referred to as 'person-first' language. People with schizophrenia are people before they are a diagnosis). The emphasis placed on correctly referring to different populations and individuals served not only to respect those people, but also create social change. By using person first language, I am in fact reinforcing how I wish individuals and populations to be viewed, as people. By using 'schizophrenic", "nigger", etc. I am reinforcing oppression upon those individuals and groups. An interesting socio-linguistic side note here, may oppressed groups have taken the words used by their oppressors, and made them their own. For example, black people began to refer to themselves as niggers, so as to take the sting from the word and he power from their oppressors. The same is true for the Indian Red Power Movement and the GLBTQ's use of the word queer.
The reason for this dissertation: In Spain, the politics of language and discussion of oppressive language does not exist. One is to know what you think or how you feel about something by the tone in which you say it. According to my teacher, the only discussion that has occurred and is occurring is in Feminist Theory. In Spanish nouns are identified as being either masculine or feminine. For example, 'ellos' is a group of males and 'ellas' is a group of girls (translated as the word 'they'). In an attempt to create more gender neutral language, some Spanish speaking individuals may write 'ell@s' or 'ell*s'. Samuel, my teacher, as only encountered this in scholastic type journals or in articles written by some editorialists in newspapers.
Does this make Spain more or less socially conscious of their oppressed groups, I don't know. In some ways, I feel as though this focus on language may be distracting people from the actual problems. Just because an individual is referred to as a person with schizophrenia as opposed to a schizophrenic does not mean that they are any less oppressed or poorly served in this country. Ultimately, I suppose it doesn't matter, so long as oppression is bring identified and fought against.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
My Very First Empanada :)
Food
So the saying goes in Spain that you should eat like a king for breakfast, a duke for lunch, and a pauper for dinner. I absolutely love this.
Breakfast: A typical Spaniard will eat a very small breakfast, a cafe con leche and a pastry. A cafe con leche is a cup of strong coffee with steamed milk. What I've found amazing is that you can expect to get a good cup of coffee absolutely anywhere. There is also this delightful stuff you can purchase for at home, called La Lechera. It is a paste-like substance made from condensed milk and sugar, which you can add to your coffee- delicious. The same is true for pastries. The most common pastries I have found are croissants (both regular and chocolate filled), and cakes similar to pound cake. Like coffee, you can get a great, fresh baked pastry anywhere. There are also a large selection of pre-packaged pastries in every grocery store I have been in. I eat my breakfast at the bus station cafeteria Monday through Friday. I usually get a cafe con leche. Unfortunately, I don't have the digestive ability to have a pastry every morning for breakfast. I usually eat a fiber bar :). Here are some coffees Jonathan and I got at a local restaurant, La Lameirina. We've made friends with Gonzalo, the manager.
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Lunch: Generally here lunch is a big deal. When families get together for special occasions or on Sundays, they do lunch, not dinner. Traditionally, lunch is eaten around 2:00pm or so and a 2-3 hour break is taken (siesta). I was very surprised to find that this is generally still adhered to in Spain. Governmental offices are not open past 2:00pm and many retail stores close for a few hours in the afternoon. Typically, lunch consists of fresh fish, potatoes, and a glass of wine. Fresh bread is also expected to be served with every meal. I absolutely love the fresh bread, though sometimes wouldn't mind if there was some butter or olive oil every once and a while to dress it up with. I usually arrive home from class around 3:00pm and Jonathan and I will have lunch together. I am not really very good at cooking fish, I still need some lessons. Much of the things we've eaten is the stuff I usually made back at home in Buffalo: rice and beans, spaghetti, stir fry, tortilla, tuna salad sandwiches, steaks, shrimp scampi, chicken cutlets, etc.
Dinner: Dinner is not a big deal here and is sometimes omitted completely. A traditional dinner consists of shellfish, salad, a sandwich, empanada, tortilla, fruit, or yogurt. Everyone here is obsessed with yogurt and believe that it is quite possibly the best thing ever for your body. I'm not denying that yogurt is healthy, it's just not that spectacular is all. Jonathan and I often skip dinner. When we do eat it's often a piece of bread, cheese, some fruit, pudding, or yogurt. It took me a week or two to get used to going to bed with a completely empty stomach, but I have since found nit to be quite pleasant.
Since moving to Spain I have lost about 5lbs. (while maintaining about the same amount of physical activity as back in Buffalo); Jonathan has lost probably about 10 lbs. Prior to moving here I was a snacker, I would have a series of small meals throughout the day. I believe that this is probably best for your metabolism, as it keeps it active throughout the day. Also, by eating small meals, it prevents your stomach from stretching out too much, which then prevents you from eating large amounts of food at a time. This method of eating also keeps your energy up. When you eat a huge meal in the middle of the day it is tough to keep moving, all I want to do is nap afterward. Nevertheless, I have lost weight. Hmph.
All of the food is so incredibly fresh, local, and organic. Most people here instead of growing grass in their backyards produce food, whether it be vegetable gardens or raising animals, such as chickens. My uncle Gonzalo and Aunt Chelo have a pig (which they plan on butchering in a month - very excited), chickens, a duck, and barn cats. They also grow tomatoes, potatoes, squash, pemientos de padron (peppers), and grapes (they make their own wine). My Uncle Monolo and Aunt Margarita have chickens (who currently reside in the foundation of Jonathan's mother, aunt, and grandparent's old home here). They also grow apples and tomatoes. Most people here choose to turn their yards into either floral gardens or space to produce food. Many people choose to grow a little extra and sell them in the municipal markets, which are located in every town. Below are some pictures I took at the market in O Grove, where I have classes:
I made friends with this vendor, he gave me cheese:)
Breakfast: A typical Spaniard will eat a very small breakfast, a cafe con leche and a pastry. A cafe con leche is a cup of strong coffee with steamed milk. What I've found amazing is that you can expect to get a good cup of coffee absolutely anywhere. There is also this delightful stuff you can purchase for at home, called La Lechera. It is a paste-like substance made from condensed milk and sugar, which you can add to your coffee- delicious. The same is true for pastries. The most common pastries I have found are croissants (both regular and chocolate filled), and cakes similar to pound cake. Like coffee, you can get a great, fresh baked pastry anywhere. There are also a large selection of pre-packaged pastries in every grocery store I have been in. I eat my breakfast at the bus station cafeteria Monday through Friday. I usually get a cafe con leche. Unfortunately, I don't have the digestive ability to have a pastry every morning for breakfast. I usually eat a fiber bar :). Here are some coffees Jonathan and I got at a local restaurant, La Lameirina. We've made friends with Gonzalo, the manager.
.JPG)
Lunch: Generally here lunch is a big deal. When families get together for special occasions or on Sundays, they do lunch, not dinner. Traditionally, lunch is eaten around 2:00pm or so and a 2-3 hour break is taken (siesta). I was very surprised to find that this is generally still adhered to in Spain. Governmental offices are not open past 2:00pm and many retail stores close for a few hours in the afternoon. Typically, lunch consists of fresh fish, potatoes, and a glass of wine. Fresh bread is also expected to be served with every meal. I absolutely love the fresh bread, though sometimes wouldn't mind if there was some butter or olive oil every once and a while to dress it up with. I usually arrive home from class around 3:00pm and Jonathan and I will have lunch together. I am not really very good at cooking fish, I still need some lessons. Much of the things we've eaten is the stuff I usually made back at home in Buffalo: rice and beans, spaghetti, stir fry, tortilla, tuna salad sandwiches, steaks, shrimp scampi, chicken cutlets, etc.
Dinner: Dinner is not a big deal here and is sometimes omitted completely. A traditional dinner consists of shellfish, salad, a sandwich, empanada, tortilla, fruit, or yogurt. Everyone here is obsessed with yogurt and believe that it is quite possibly the best thing ever for your body. I'm not denying that yogurt is healthy, it's just not that spectacular is all. Jonathan and I often skip dinner. When we do eat it's often a piece of bread, cheese, some fruit, pudding, or yogurt. It took me a week or two to get used to going to bed with a completely empty stomach, but I have since found nit to be quite pleasant.
Since moving to Spain I have lost about 5lbs. (while maintaining about the same amount of physical activity as back in Buffalo); Jonathan has lost probably about 10 lbs. Prior to moving here I was a snacker, I would have a series of small meals throughout the day. I believe that this is probably best for your metabolism, as it keeps it active throughout the day. Also, by eating small meals, it prevents your stomach from stretching out too much, which then prevents you from eating large amounts of food at a time. This method of eating also keeps your energy up. When you eat a huge meal in the middle of the day it is tough to keep moving, all I want to do is nap afterward. Nevertheless, I have lost weight. Hmph.
All of the food is so incredibly fresh, local, and organic. Most people here instead of growing grass in their backyards produce food, whether it be vegetable gardens or raising animals, such as chickens. My uncle Gonzalo and Aunt Chelo have a pig (which they plan on butchering in a month - very excited), chickens, a duck, and barn cats. They also grow tomatoes, potatoes, squash, pemientos de padron (peppers), and grapes (they make their own wine). My Uncle Monolo and Aunt Margarita have chickens (who currently reside in the foundation of Jonathan's mother, aunt, and grandparent's old home here). They also grow apples and tomatoes. Most people here choose to turn their yards into either floral gardens or space to produce food. Many people choose to grow a little extra and sell them in the municipal markets, which are located in every town. Below are some pictures I took at the market in O Grove, where I have classes:
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