Hombre, tranquillo

 

12/09/2012

Today’s blog is coming at you from Paco’s.

Okay, I’m back.  It has been a quite stressful week to say the least but I think I am through the worst of it (until classes start).  I have my Irish mobile phone back online so anyone wanting to send me a text message please send it to my Irish mobile, thanks.

Classes start tomorrow at 10.00am.  My first class is linguistics but I have no idea where it is taking place.  Right at this moment I couldn’t care less; I have resigned myself to the fact that I won’t be there.  I need to get my username and password for the college website before I can see my timetable and where each class is taking place.  Tomorrow will be spent trying to find the Secretaria de mi Centro de Estudios, so that he or she can give me my código y pin de usuario.  Hopefully then I will be able to find out where I am supposed to be.  I had a very stressful day today getting paperwork sorted with the police and the local county council.  Here is an excerpt of an email I sent to mi novia today.  I wasn’t expecting her to do anything about it; I just needed to let off steam to someone….

"What a shower of bloody stupid fecking..$%"@$@!!&.  I am constantly walking back and forward from one office or building to another, getting forms stamped and signed and all that nonsense.  I got sorted with my NIE (identification number for foreigners); it is just a tiny piece of paper, not even sturdy enough to be called a card.  I filled out the form, then they sent me to the bank to pay 10.30 euro and then back to them to issue me the piece of paper.  They then suggest that I get it laminated as it will not last very long if I don’t.  How about you guys laminate it before you give it to me? I think to myself but I just smile and say ´gracias´.

I go back to the University building where I queued the other day.  Leopoldo, the professor, said I was to go there to get my learning co-coordinator’s signature on the learning agreement changed before sending it to Eduardo in Maynooth.  They tell me she is not in this building and tell me to go to the Milan campus, (where I was with Leopoldo) I will find her there.

Before that I go to the County Council to get my citizen card.  They take all my details and input them onto the computer.  I show them the letter signed by Moises stating that I am sharing an apartment with him.  I show them a copy of a bill with his name and address on it.  They can’t process anything until I show up with his original DNI card as proof that he exists.  For God's sake!!!

I then go back to the college to hand in my choice of lessons to the girl in the Casa de las Lenguas building.  I ask her where I can find the learning co-ordinator to co-sign my learning agreement changes.  She points out that Leopoldo did not sign the original learning agreement and that that needs to be done too.  Then she directs me to another building to find the learning co-ordinator.  When I arrive there they inform me that she is at a meeting and will be available either later today or tomorrow."

Aaaarrgghhh!!!!!

At some stage I realize that I need to slow down before I have a feckin’ stroke.  If everyone else here is so laid back and not appearing to really give a damn, well then, why should I?  I essentially have 90% of the paperwork done and so I’m going to take a back seat now and finish the paperwork in the style of a Spaniard – mañana, mañana.

I really have no right to be complaining as I am getting to live in Spain for a year at the taxpayers’ expense (I did pay taxes for 20 years).  I freely admit I am in a great position and I am very lucky to be where I am right now.  The economic situation in Spain is actually worse than it is in Ireland.  There is a higher rate of unemployment.  Moises for example sits around the flat most days waiting for phone calls offering him a days work here or there as a waiter.  It is quite obvious that a lot of people here are feeling the strain.  Like Ireland there are plenty of places looking to buy gold and offer instant payment.

As I mentioned before people are unhappy with social services and periodically there are protests on the streets.  I have also noticed a lot of graffiti around stating the banks are to blame, that people are sick of being dehumanized and treated only as numbers.  A lot of the graffiti is based around the University Campus.  Here are a few examples…

I signed up to a program in the college whereby I am paired up with a Spaniard who helps me with things like finding classrooms and offices and helping me should I need information regarding the city and such.  Her name is Paola and I met her this evening.  She is very nice and we chatted for about an hour.  There wasn’t much she could help me with as I have most things done and I need my password before I can find my classrooms.  Working out my timetable and choice of subjects I am working with two different codes assigned to each subject.  Paola showed me her list of subjects and timetable on the University website and they were listed with a third set of codes, dios mio.  She explained that the paperwork is always horrendous but once it is done I can relax and concentrate on why I am here in Spain.  It was good to make contact with her and I have her mobile number should I need assistance with anything in college.

On a lighter note Oviedo really is a lovely city and I would urge everyone to come and see it.  Everywhere you look there are statues and sculptures.  There is even a statue of Woody Allen.  He made a film called Vicky, Christina, Barcelona and the character played by Javier Bardem takes the two girls to his home town of Oviedo.  So I suppose the statue is a way of saying thank you for putting Oviedo on the map, so to speak. 

The main park in the centre of the city is the Campo de San Francisco.  There is a path around it where many people sit and chat, especially in the evening.  There is a part on the edge of the park where the date is shown in grass.  Each morning somebody changes the date; I find it quite pleasing to look at for some reason.  I think the park may become an area that I will spend time in relaxing and just watching the world go by.

The people here are crazy about dogs.  Everywhere you look there are people out walking with their mascotas.  Moises takes Rocco out at least twice a day.  Outside some shops I have seen places for tying up your dog while you go shopping.  It is not often that you will see dog excrement on the streets or in the parks as everyone is very conscientious about cleaning up and keeping the place clean.

Speaking of keeping the place clean, every night at about 3 or 4 o’clock there is refuse collection of some sort or other, be it cardboard, general waste or glass.  I am getting used to hearing trucks pulling up outside and bins being dragged along the paths or glass smashing as it is thrown into the back of a truck.  Roads are washed down with high power hoses at all hours of the morning.  It is a wonder anyone gets any sleep.

Just one question folks.  Is the sculpture below supposed to represent the female or male form?

Hasta luego.