A conversation with alex....

Ok a few background notes before I get into it about Alex...

In Spain, there are a high number of motorcycles, mopeds, ATVs and dirt bikes that use the streets an highways. No ATVs or mopeds on the highways of course. But in the small towns and sometimes in between, you find yourself pulling double duty playing defensive driver with all the 2 wheeled motorists darting thru traffic. And when I say darting, I mean that exactly. Have you ever had a glass and filled it with stones? then proceeded to pour sand in it and watch the sand slip thru the larger stones as gravity pulls the grains down toward the bottom of the glass thus filling in all the little available spaces. Well the 2 wheelers of Spain are the grains of sand and driving lanes are the glass. I guess that makes me a big lumbering stone.

When you come to a red light, it´s common to see many helmeted motorist trickling their way to the front of traffic. as if it was their born right to be ahead of you. So I have a family and we all like to ride with some protection and a few airbags. Just because you decided to brave the cold winter winds on 50 miles to the gallon chariots does not make you better than me. If your power windows were not working and you decided to open your door to spit while stopped in traffic, beware, there may be a motorist or two in your blind spot creeping up on you.

And this behavior is not just for stop lights. It´s in moving traffic. In a normal 2 lane road there are actually 5 lanes, or so you would believe. here are the two clearly marked lanes for the cars, complete with a dashed center line, solid yellow line on the left and solid white on the right. then there are the passing lanes for motorbikes. the will pass you to the right, middle and left. I have spent a collective of 6 months total in Spain and seen too many fallen riders bathed in flashing lights from ambulances and police or tarps on the roads to count. thank goodness for laws on wearing a helmet.

The second part of the background story ties into the rituals and practices of the Xmas holiday. See here, Santa Claus is not the centerpiece of every child´s imagination this time of the year. Rather, this Catholic state focus on the Three Kings. You know the story of little baby Jesus in the manger visited by the 3 kings. Well that´s the big gift giving holiday here. so today, the helpers of the 3 kings visited Alex´s school. During this event, the children write cards to give to them to take to the 3 kings to inform the 3 kings of what they want for the holiday season in the way of gifts. Now onto my conversation with Alex...

So riding home tonight from dinner, I commented out loud at how disappointing it was that some bike riders...well all of them...seem to be a bit carefree and risky with their choices on the road. they cut you off and weave in and out of traffic without a care. It can be frustrating to a new driver in Spain as compared with driving down Rt. 301. Still I was frustrated enough to say it out loud. Of course, Alex, with his sonar shaped ears that ironically can hear every curse word I mange to utter but I have to tell him to brush his teeth 5 times a night, heard every word. Carme took this moment to bring up a funny story.

She asked Alex what he did at school today and he seemed reluctant to tell me. After some struggling, he went into the story of the visitors to his school today, the 3 kings´helpers. Being the slick parent, I asked him what he asked for in his letter to the 3 kings. He shyly regressed from telling me. I pushed further and he admitted I would be mad at him. After reassuring him that daddy would not be mad at him and I was genuinely interested, he responded after a long sigh and pause...he wanted a motorcycle.

in business

I am officially in business and working on my first project. It is a web site for a local bus company here in the Costa Brava area. Th company is names Girotransfer and they provide charter buses for groups all over the area. The specialize in groups doing tours, school field trips and senior citizen excursions. Here, more than back home, I see more senior citizens coming together as groups to enjoy their retirement and traveling everywhere within a bus trip´s reach. It saddens me to think that so many senior citizens in America seem to be in the work force. I am sure there are some that just enjoy working and meeting other people. But still I am sure there are those who work to afford health care or receive it in the first place. Still I am sure there are those who did not invest well (I am soon to be a victim of such events) and social security is just not enough.

Part of my trip here is to see things on the other side. It´s not necessarily "the grass is greener" as Spain has just as many issues as we do in America. The common denominator:humans. It´s human nature to create and fester some of the social issues we have. Carme and I got into a spirited debate on guns and weapons. We also finally got a chance to see the movie The Kingdom with Jamie Foxx and Jason Bateman. I was commenting on American´s 2nd amendment, Spain´s culture where guns are not freely available and Saudi Arabia´s miltary controlled state. 3 sides of the same lopsided coin. Based on culture, politics and current events, they shape the world we are in. Still I will take the restful night of no gunfire over a years lease in Gilpin Court.

So is my mission to fix the ills of the world? Certainly not. My mission is to experience and see human nature from the perspective of cultural standards. Still the more I look, the more things stay the same.

In America, there is a hot political issue with the influx of immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. Here in Spain, it is mirrored by the influx of Moroccans who cross the Strait of Gibraltar to find work and a better life for their families and children. The poor into the country looking for opportunity they can´t find in their own country due to corruption, violence and just plain bad luck. Spain has a thriving tourism industry since the death of the dictator Franco. Morocco has the misfortune of being in proximity to many Islamic states and some serious civil wars in the Sub Saharan regions of Africa. Still they come here to do work that most Spaniards don´t want to do. Much like the doctors and lawyers of Mexico coming to America to pick oranges in the orchards of southern California.

Do these African get a bit of appreciation? Are they welcomed with open arms? Well one day I may look into those questions as I have more and more conversations with the locals here. But how does this affect me being of African decent? I am not sure, since this is a small town and most people know I am from the United States rather than Africa. Still they look at me with a bit of confusions trying to read my life story in my eyes. Right now I cannot argue that I am being mistreated or handled when no one really initiates conversations with me knowing how poor my Spanish is. Still it´s quite amusing if I saw a bumper sticker which read¨"If you live in Spain...speak Spanish!!!"

Cultural differences...Christmas

Well of course there are cultural differences here in Spain. So Christmas is not spared the translations. More of a religious holiday, Xmas is more about the religious aspect and less about the kids and commercial holiday. Actually that is not fair. I cannot make assumptions on most Americans like that. Rather to me, in America, I am bombarded with buy, buy, buy and I lose focus on the religious side of things. still here there is an air of consumer frenzy...but in a small town like Tossa, I am somewhat sheltered in all of that.

Since there is no thanksgiving here, there is no "official start" to the season except to say that when November ends, then it´s time to start. I have not visited anyone´s homes since I have been here except my mother in law, Carmen and my sis in law, Natalia. they do not have any decorations up and I am not so sure they will. Carme is trying to bring a bit of America with her and she has the house all decorated and ready to go. Unfortunately our new cat, Messi, likes the shiny new toys gangling from the limbs of our fake tree. Yes, we bought a fake tree last year and shipped it with us. We had to go find a new star to put atop the tree but that was a scavenger hunt unto itself.

On Xmas eve families are together to share a meal...a pretty big one and I think I will be doing all the cooking this year. Xmas day is not full of all the presents we like to do in America but so far I think we are the only ones in town with a tree decorated. Not sure if that´s the thing to do here or not. We will be getting Alex a few presents and of course my mom is sending them by the bulk load. Typically they all go to church and even though it´s a bit more diversified here in Spain, the majority of the people are Catholic. there are a few Muslims and in the larger cities there are some Jewish people. There are many more religions here but they practice a little bit more quietly I am sure. Funny, another major difference here, and I have not taken a poll or anything, but after watching some news programs, it seems the Spanish are more sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians rather than the big bad and abusive Israel government. It´s amazing how a news program can edit the same story written in history to make you feel and think other ways. Don´t believe me, watch CNN then switch to Fox news. Maybe you will agree.

The big "kid" celebration doesn´t come until Jan 6. That is the 3 King Day...and you thought it was a movie starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube. This is representing the 3 kings coming across the desert for little baby Jesus. Well the funny thing about that is that of the 3 kings, one had dark skin...or so the story goes. So they have either a celebrity African, most likely a soccer player, to do some publicity shots as the third king. In each town they have a parade. Well most towns have it i am sure. They have the "3 kings", which includes some yoke with black paint on his face. not brown...Black. he looks like some military guy with camouflage and it´s never done well. They ride thru town in the night throwing candy at kids. To be really historically accurate, you need camels or at least horses. Most times, there are none laying around so they ride in on the back of pickups or on John Deere tractors or ATV drawn wagons to launch the massive rains of candy and treats. I find it funny b/c it´s hard to see little bits of candy being hurled at you in the evening hours. the lighting is like if you stood on Broad St. , just west of Staples Mill Rd. this is where the city ends and the county begins. You can tell because broad St. goes from being pretty well lit to pretty damn dark. Well imagine standing in front of Krispie Kreams and being launched a handful of M&Ms. Wear safety goggles. Some is going to lose an eye I swear.

The parade then proceeds to the local church. How do they know which church? Well they are catholic and there is usually only one church in these small towns. I would assume in Barcelona there is a bigger parade leading to some huge church to accommodate all that follow. What they do in the churches I don´t know but the wife mumbles about brainwashing.

Also they have this thing called cagatio (ka ga tee oh) where it´s a small log, with a painted on face and a Santa hat, that is draped in cloth and kids beat it with a stick until the poor log poops out presents. Sad I say. I do not understand this concept at all so fill in your own comments.

At the end of the day, your family and / or friends and share a ring shaped bread. the bread is slightly sweet and possibly topped with dried fruit and/or a bit of icing. inside the bread is baked 2 items. one is a stone or a dried bean and the other is a ceramic small figurine representing a king. whomever gets the king in their slice ..."wins". what they win I do not know but I never got anything. the few times I have done this i have gotten the king but i think it was done out of niceness. the one who gets the stone...they have to pay for the bread. Never mind being so hungry and having only bread and wine for dinner might cause you to rush and bite into he stone and lose a tooth. Good things there is not much in the way of liability lawsuits.

you guys do know...

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