We've Moved!!

The blog can now be found at http://txninspain.wordpress.com

'Indignant' over Sol - Indignante sobre Sol

What a crazy last few months it's been with the protesters in Spain. For those of you who have not been following it, a movement called 'Los Indignados' (I don't have to translate this one, do I?) has been taking place in the larger Spanish cities. The movement is made up of mostly 20-somethings who simply want a job and a better political system.

With an appalling 20% plus unemployment rate and over 100 re-elected politicians who are under investigation for corruption, these people have cause to be outraged. Crazy labor laws and mismanagement are all the rage here in Spain with nothing ever seeming to change. The people are desperate for a shift.

A few days ago, the government decided to close off La Puerta de Sol, the heart of Madrid where tourists love to stand on Kilometer 0 and beggars ask the passing throngs for spare change. Street performers and camera flashes were replaced by lines of armed officers and blue light bars. Even the metro station, one of the city's most important terminals, was shuttered.

Some of the protesters claim this was done for the upcoming visit of the Pope. Others say the government just saw an opportunity to suppress the protest. One thing is clear: I'm a fairly selfish person but when I missed by metro connection today because of the closures and had to walk a good distance home, my grumbles weren't directed at the protesters but rather the

politicians.

ESPAÑOL

Han sido uno meses de locura con las manifestaciones aquí en España. Para los que no las siguen, hay un movimiento que se llama ‘Los Indignados,’ que lleva unos meses ocupando las plazas mas representativas de las principales ciudades españolas. La mayoría de la gente que integra este movimiento tiene unos 20 años y simplemente quiere un trabajo y un sistema político mejor.

Con un espantoso paro de un 20% o incluso más, y más de 100 políticos reelegidos que están siendo investigados por corrupción (they are under investigation), esa gente tiene razón de estar indignada. Las leyes laborales locas y las malas gestiones están de moda en España. Los temas Nunca jamás cambian.

Hace unos días, el gobierno decidió cerrar la Puerta del Sol, el corazón de Madrid, donde los turistas les encanta estar en el kilómetro 0 y los mendigospedir a la multitud que pasa por monedas. Artistas de la calle y los flashes de las cámeras fueron reemplazados por líneas de policías armados y sus azul barras de luz. Incluso la estación de metro, una de las terminales másimportantes de la ciudad, cerró sus puertas.

Hace unos días, el gobierno decidió cerrar la Puerta del Sol, el corazón de Madrid, donde los turistas les encanta estar en el kilómetro 0 y los mendigos pedir a la multitud que pasa por monedas. Artistas de la calle y los flashes de las cámeras fueron reemplazados por líneas de policías armados y barras de luz azules. Incluso la estación de metro, una de las terminales más importantes de la ciudad, cerró sus puertas.

Algunos de los manifestantes afirman que esto se realizó para la próxima visita del Papa. Otros dicen que el gobierno simplemente vió una oportunidad para reprimir la protesta. Una cosa está clara: Soy una personabastante egoísta, pero cuando perdí mi conexión de metro hoy para el cierrey tenía que caminar un buena distancia a casa, mis quejas no iban dirigidas a los manifestantes, sino más bien los
políticos.

Let's Have Another Go

Well, there has been a bit of a hiatus in my blog to say the least. Does three years seem to much for you? Well, too bad if it does. I figure with my resettlement in Spain after a year in London plus a year or two of no posts, it's high time to get this mama going. So, look for more posts in the near (really!) future.

Paris- Oh La La

Rafa and I had a wonderful trip to Paris over the holidays. The city was fantastically lit for Christmas and the cold weather was perfect for snuggling. My favorite activity was to buy a nice bottle of French wine and walk the the city while talking to Rafa. Tres magnific! And finally, I want to wish everyone a happy new year!

Christmas in Spain

Ah... the lights are up, the marzapan in baking, the chestnuts are roasting and the nativity scenes are full of people taking a shit. Yes, it is true. Almost every nativity scene has a character taking a dump. Why, I don't know. I've included a link to a wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caganer. Also, one of the the greatest Christmas traditions of the Catalan (the area around Barcelona) people is to have their children beat an over-sized of St. Nick-like log with sticks until-- you guessed it-- it craps. Turns out that Spanish is rife with potty vocabulary. There is a specific and socially acceptable verb to describe the process of getting ready to take a dump. It's sort of like us alluding to our morning coffee but much more blunt. Why? Well one has to live here to understand....

SEASONS GREETINGS!!!
POOP WELL IN THE NEW YEAR!!!

A General Update

I know I have been a bit lazy and have not written in Don Quixote for a while. For this I am sorry. Well, I am still alive here in Spain and everything is going swimmingly. I've made a lot of new Spanish friends and can, usually, converse with them well in Español. Jorge and Robin are doing good as well. I've been keeping busy with my school and private classes.

As of late, I've really been missing American food. Spanish supermarkets just don't have a variety of foods, regardless of size. You can forget about finding anything international. All that changed as I have discovered an American food store right here in Madrid. It was refreshing to buy pickle relish and Bisquick. I took Rafa with me and he was appalled with the concept of Pam. Regardless of Spanish ideas of food, I'm happy that I can have a little piece of home.

Well, that's all for now folks!! Keep posted..

Holy Toledo!

Rafa and I spent the weekend in Toledo, a jewel of city a little south of Madrid. Situated on a hill with steep cliffs, the city has retained it's medieval charm. We had a tough time walking because the city itself is very hilly, but the views were worth it. But enough words- I've included a slide show with pictures.

As for other news, all is well. My Spanish is still slowly improving. In fact, I spent 95% of this weekend "in Spanish" and I didn't have a monstrous headache. My classes are going good and I'm enjoying the students.